Thankfulness, every day - Twenty One

A few days away... away from work, away from the city... disconnected.

Now that I'm back, I'm thankful for that mental, emotional and physical breathing space. Also thankful for the snow, which made everything feel calm and quiet and beautiful. And for that light on the horizon, literal and figurative...

Warm, fun and fuzzy...

...evening out with special friends to celebrate a special day

Thirty sweet and soulful years, and growing still

Spinning food to share it is all part of the fun

Service excellent, attentive but discreet

Good conversation all 'round...

...and plenty of laughter...

...perhaps caused by another of T's exaggerated and funny tales

Yours are probably in focus, right?

Caught in the flash light...

...and then the fun really began!

Playing with my brand new take-it-anywhere toy - a thoughtful, albeit overwhelming gift from two of these delightful souls. So little and light, it fits easily into my tiny evening clutch... love it.

In low light situations, for every one I snap with a flash, I like to take one without. I often love how they turn out even more than the sharply focussed shots. These capture the mood of the evening perfectly... warm, fun and fuzzy. Lovely!

p.s. sorry for any confusion caused - not my Birthday! I see how the reference to that and the gift sound when combined, but the Birthday boy was my sweet friend ETB (as he's affectionately known) and although he received gifts too (as is fitting), my camera was a thank you from him and his wife for some help I was able to offer on an important project they were working on earlier in the year...

p.p.s. when my Birthday does appear (it is this month but much later) I will be heading closer to five-oh than three-oh! I remember the threes well though - thought I'd have "it" (life, the universe and everything) all sussed out by thirty. Almost fifteen years later and I'm still figuring it out. He seems a lot more together than I was at that age.

You win some, you lose some...

...except in the magical world of the blogosphere, where sometimes even when you lose, you win.

a box and butterfly

The Winner

I was recently lucky enough to win a competition held by Denise of Freshly Found, the prize being one of the beautiful origami boxes, which she'd made out of old record album covers. Denise is the queen of repurposed fabulousness and is always turning something old, into something new and beautiful.

I love boxes and drawers (things to keep things in - what could be better?) and was very excited to have won. Although I knew that one was on its way to me, it was a complete surprise which of all the beauties she'd made it would be. And this week, it arrived. Could it be more perfect? A Linda Ronstadt album cover made into a lovely little box for goodies. I LOVE the colours and the cover art. And the base of the box is the back of the cover with the song titles listed, including Tracks of my Tears.

Looking at this (and hearing the echoes of that song in my head) instantly transports me back to my childhood: listening to my Dad's records; sitting on the lounge floor with the album covers spread in a swirl around me; wearing the huge, but then state-of-the-art squishy-cushioned headphones with individual left and right ear volume controls, each earpiece almost the size of my whole head; feeling so grown up because I was entrusted with use of the record player and the precious collection of records, including my Dad's favourites and mine at the time, Nat King Cole and Johnny Mathis. And Linda Ronstadt, with her quintessential sound of the 70s. What a girl.

And clearly, as the picture on this cover illustrates, Linda is a girl who liked her accessories. Just like me. So I'm going to use this perfect little box for some of mine. It's just the right size for my prettiest hairbands and clips. Just right.

Thank you Denise. Thank you!

The Loser

Where would one find a giveaway that included a book, two cigar boxes full of gorgeous handmade paper bugs, and a pair of squirrel underpants, with the prize draw taking place from a boob mug? Yes, that's underpants for a squirrel, and a mug that looks like a woman's breast... you read it right! Only one place, and one person in this blogosphere that I know of who could pull that combination off with any style, and that's Linda Sue. And she did. Brilliantly.

Unfortunately, I did not win the giveaway. I believe that the underpants are now going to be gifted to a squirrel named Fatty, who lives somewhere in New York and is the friend of a friend of Linda Sue's pup, Dexter, called Buster. Buster and Fatty have been friends for a while and it makes sense that, as he is a dog and not a squirrel, Buster pass the pants onto Fatty. Dexter and Buster met through blogging, like Linda Sue and I. True story. In fact, Buster is one of the best bloggers out there. If you haven't read his blog, you should do yourself a favour and visit... He has a way with words, and is a very good artist.

Anyway, I digress. I did not win the giveaway. I was a loser. But just because Linda Sue is Linda Sue - generous and lovely - and couldn't bear to disappoint the losers, she offered us all a prize in the end. Made with her own fair hands, out of beautiful textured and patterned papers... butterflies.

Well, we know I'm not one to resist the allure of a butterfly, and so I said, "Yes please!" and Linda Sue dispatched a parcel to me with instructions to fluff wings when it arrived and the hope that they would find a good home on this side of the Atlantic. There was in fact more than just the beauty above enclosed, and the others have already taken up residence on my desk at work, where they are much admired. They flew all the way here, carrying some fresh summer lavender and a treat for my brain too, and landed safely on the same day that Denise's box arrived.

Another special mail day, courtesy of bloggy lovelies! I feel very lucky.

And Linda Sue, you always make me smile. Thank you! Not that I would love you any less if you didn't make me smile, but you do. Even when I don't feel like smiling. And I love that about you.

So, a box and a butterfly. Perfect prizes.

A winner and a loser. Perfect balance.

Perfect day.

♥

A little cloud...

...of butterflies has taken up residence in the corner of my room...

...where they float and dance on the summer breeze coming in through the window and make me smile. Every day.

Thank you my friend.

I love them!

♥

Love in brown paper

This month I entered my first swap - organised by the oh-so-lovely-and-talented Nadia. The idea was to make a CD of musical favourites, add a few postcards, a quotation and something else... Anything else. Little and personal. I was nervous. Very nervous. My swap partner is someone whose blog I have long enjoyed but, from what I gather there, she's a bit of a muso - loves vinyl records and takes her tunes seriously (in the best way!) Err, I love music too but music is like scent - it's very, very personal and subjective. So how to choose what I think she might like and at that same time reflects me??? Oh you know how I battle to choose! So I ended up doing an A and a B side. I think I'm going to stop fighting the inability to narrow things down and just go with the abundance principle. In for a penny, in for a Pound as they say in these parts...

I sent her package off yesterday (a day late but I hope she'll forgive that it's a tad overdue) and I hope she'll like it. I gleaned from her blog that she loves cats, muted earthy colours, green, wears red shoes, loves to read and write... I tried to capture all these things. And something of me too - butterflies, travel, postcards of places close to my heart and artists I love. I also included a few little treasures from South Africa - a guinea fowl feather, a shell off my beloved beach, and a coin with the blue crane on it... What fun it was to gather these special things to share. Again I am struck by the way that the Internet connects us across miles and miles... It's a wonderful thing, isn't it? Thank you Nadia for making this happen. Swapping is something special.

My post office was busy this week. In addition to this, two more little parcels headed Stateside, one to Canada and one to South Africa... Love in brown paper.

Happy Wednesday!

♥

The bluebird of happiness lives here

She flew all the way from Texas with little words of love and inspiration tucked under her wing. Just for me.

A few weeks ago the lovely ELK announced that I was the winner of one of her beautiful bluebirds. How lucky, how exciting!  I'm partial to a songbird.  And such a pretty one, made with love, and sent 'specially to me - how very special. 

And here she is. She landed safely, does not seem any worse for her long journey, and doesn't seem to be minding the change in climate at all. She delivered ELK's messages beautifully and is already making herself at home. I'm so happy that she's come to live with me. 

And I want to say thank you to ELK for the gorgeous gift, as well as for her unwavering kindness and encouragement.

Thank you. Thank you. I love her.

5 super senses, 3 overdue presents and 1 public apology

Anairam's Senses

Last year, some might remember, there was a giveaway...  Anairam won a gift box designed to interpret her sensory favourites and I had a wonderful time collecting goodies to send her. I also promised to make her something to accompany it, which I had great fun starting but didn't manage to finish before Christmas as I'd hoped to. 

It is with not inconsiderable embarrassment, that I have to admit this has been sitting on my desk ever since, nearly but not quite ready to go. Alongside it, a project for another dear friend, also awaiting final attentions and long overdue. And a third next to that, an edible Birthday present that was due so long ago that it's already past its 'best before' date, waiting merely to be wrapped and taken to the post office. 

Yesterday I finished Anairam's at last and it went in the mail today. E's mini-book will be finished next weekend and be posted shortly thereafter. And the Birthday gift will be repurchased and sent next week too.

The people involved have been incredibly lovely and very patient and I hope they'll think it was worth the wait. But it's worried me. It worries me. This behaviour.

It's been getting worse over the course of the last year (or two) but it's actually very out of character for me not to get things like this done. I can procrastinate with the best but it's not like me to miss deadlines or to put off things that I like to do. And I like to do this. In fact, I enjoy few things more than considering the perfect gift, finding (or making) it, and then wrapping it up prettily. Particularly if it's for someone special. It's something that gives me great pleasure. And something I am usually a lot better at. Although I can come up with many reasons or excuses, none are really adequate to explain why I have not found or made the time to complete these projects before now. It's just bad form. And I'm sorry for it. 

It might seem like a relatively little thing but gift-giving is one of the small ways I show people that I care for them. It's important to me to remember significant dates and mark them thoughtfully, and to celebrate special events in the lives of people in my life. And I don't believe in making promises I don't keep. My not doing these things is symptomatic of an imbalance I've allowed to develop around where I place my energy - away from fun, away from things that matter to me. And I would never do this in my professional life so why have I allowed myself to do it in my personal life?

Anyway, taking advantage of my lovely weekend alone, and in the spirit of achieving a more integrated me this year, I began to change this. And I found that in some cases this will involve resurrecting parts of me that I have let fade away - changing back. Not looking back, not dwelling on the things that can't be changed but changing behaviours that don't serve me well and even returning to those that have, and do. And I want to hold myself accountable here, and apologise. And then move on.

I'm sorry. Truly. I promise to try to be better.

It's a new week friends. And I'm a teeny step closer to the old-new me. It feels good.

Today I wore love...

...in the shape of butterfly wings.

When you come to the end of all the light you know, and it's time to step into the darkness of the unknown, faith is knowing that one of two things shall happen:

Either you will be given something solid to stand on or you will be taught to fly.

Edward Teller

1908-2003

My wish for your wings came true!

The rest is up to you...

EL

January 2009

Thank you E, and Happy Friday to All!

Getting in the mood...

...for Christmas. Finally.

It struck me with force yesterday that it's a fortnight to Christmas. Two short weeks.  Now two shorts weeks minus one day.

And I have yet to do anything substantial to prepare for it.  

I've bought one or two prezzies, and have started to make one or two (but still have about a dozen to sort out).  I've bought and made some cards and have even managed to write a few (but have yet to post them). I haven't given any thought at all to menus and decorations (although I am not feeding the five thousand or inviting the Queen around to turn on the lights). 

But it's too soon.

I am not ready.

The thing is that I'm not the most well prepared of people even in a good year but this degree of it-snuck-up-on-me-ness is overwhelming and feels quite uncomfortable. Not to mention that it's the build up to Christmas that I really enjoy so I like to make it last for longer than two weeks. 

Oh well, two weeks is better than none. And I'm planning - at the very least - to decorate a tree and my apartment this weekend. Next to wrapping the gifts (which I always set an evening, some mulled wine, and a pile of mince pies aside for) decorating the tree is one of my very favourite things to do.

To get myself in the mood, I had a look back on my photographs from last year.  I went a little wild with colour and there were a few raised eyebrows at the butterfly theme (granted, not the most obviously Christmassy motif) but I liked it.  In June this year I had some vague notion that I might go with a monochrome scheme this time but as I've allowed myself to arrive at two weeks before the day and haven't done anything to prepare for that, I'll probably recycle last year's scheme. Recycling is good.

I hope your preparations are coming along well... and that you're in the mood. What's your favourite pre-Christmas thing to do?

Two weeks! 

Happy Friday!

Red Flower Love

Beautiful festive flowers... A gift from a pair of teddy bears who love me (but live elsewhere) called Bert (short for Bertram) and Charlie (short for Charlotte). 

They call me Aunty K and they never forget my Birthday.

The flowers are a little bit blurry. That's because after a single glass of bubbly, they were. I'm such a lightweight!

Perhaps I shouldn't admit that to the world? Or the thing about the bears.

Too late.

Hope you're having a lovely weekend!

The earth laughs in flowers and this week, so do I

Where flowers bloom so does hope

Lady Bird Johnson

A little while ago I mentioned that I love felt flowers. 

Linda Sue, who makes the most exquisite felt figures and other felted beauties sent me a message saying that she would like to send me some of her feltwork flowers.  We 'met' only recently online so I was incredibly touched by her generosity of spirit and excited at the thought of adding one of her beautiful blooms to my collection. She asked me about my favourite colours and later mentioned that she had made a flower 'specially for me while doing a demo at a craft market.  So I knew that something special was on it's way....

I had no idea.

This week, on election day, I received this parcel in the post...

Blown away does not begin to describe how I felt as I opened this treasure chest. Firstly, the lovely box itself - a gorgeous vintage painted tin - and as I opened it a special card with the loveliest message....

And then... not one, two or even three flowers but an entire bouquet! I was, and am, overwhelmed.  Delighted, thrilled, and overwhelmed. ALL my favourite colours - orange, purple, red and turquiose.... SO beautiful!

The parcel also included some thoughtful quotations and a bar of handmade soap that added another floral dimension - the smell of lavender and rose. I wore one of the two purple beauties to celebrate the US election result and all day there was a hint of lavender - calming and beautifully evocative of summer. Lovely.

Linda Sue, thank you. It's been a good week. A week of hope and flowers.

An embarrassment of riches

Just a few days ago I mentioned that I'd treated myself to a few goodies from my Etsy wishlist and that I was all a-tingle in anticipation of their imminent arrival.

Well, on Saturday they arrived.... Far more quickly than I'd expected and both packages on the same day! How wonderful. I love parcel post. And it didn't stop with just these two.

Not only were these gifts to myself everything I'd imagined and hoped for, but there were some extra treats in the form of an unexpected enclosure, and a few more beautiful prezzies - sent by my lovely friend in Toronto - that arrived on the same day. That's twice in one month that I have been blessed by the thoughtful kindness of my friends! How lucky am I? And believe me, the postal treats are the least of it. Knowing these people enriches my life, and being able to count them as friends is something I never take for granted.

Anyway, Saturday's post brought me the following lovelies...



This book is gorgeous! Beautiful, soulful, and inspiring in so many ways.

Christine's work is just a visual feast. The images and reflections that she captures in her art and in the pages of this book (which is a work of art itself and an obvious labour of love) are warm and heartfelt, personal yet universal. They resonate with me on so many levels. I read it from cover to cover yesterday, greedily devouring the whole thing in one sitting, and now I am starting again and working through it more slowly in order to savour every page, every picture, every word.

To treat yourself to a taste of her art and what's to be found inside the book, have a look here.

I also was surprised and delighted to find this little gem of a collage enclosed...


I know that she knows nothing specific about me but it could not be more perfect! The colours, a butterfly, a little dance dress and black lace drama, and reference to procrastination and wanderlust - probably two of my most defining impulses.... Beautiful and perfect! Thank you!

And then there were the gifts from Canada - an amber-coloured necklace and a black, butterfly lacquered stone... Again, beautiful and perfect!



These gifts come from a heart so generous and loving and that instinctively knows just how and when to reach out and make a person feel special. A heart that knows mine very well - including all the dark corners - and loves me still. She enclosed a little note to say that she was sending these things for no reason other than that they'd reminded her of me, and that they came with love.

What can I say except, thank you my dear friend?! They are beautiful and I will take pleasure in them every day.

And speaking of warm and open hearts.... This woman I don't know at all really, except through the glimpses I've been granted on her blog and in her photography. But I think you can tell a lot about a person from how she sees the people and the world around her. And if her photographs and musings are anything to go by, then that's enough to tell me that she is gentle and brave and beautiful.

And I love this picture.


It reminded me at first sight of one of the single most perfect moments of my life to-date - a dawn walk on a beach in Mozambique, with my youngest brother, before we went out for a swim with wild dolphins.... It captures all the connection, all the peace, all the joy, that I felt at that moment. And that I almost always feel when I have my toes in "sea bubbles".

An ordinary sparkling moment.

I am fortunate to have many of these moments in my life to look back on and I like to be visually reminded of them because it reminds me to notice and to strive for more of them in my every day. I don't have many pictures from that time so thank you, Denise, for capturing it so perfectly in yours!

Post can be good

I can't say I generally look forward to my post, or mail for those of you across the Atlantic.

I don't dread it but, most days, it looks a lot like this...


Boring! It looks boring and it is boring - bills, statements, and a bit of junk mail.

But yesterday morning when I took it out of the box, there was also this...


As soon as I saw that cheerful package, I knew I was in for a treat!

And it did not disappoint.

Removal of layer one revealed...


Layer two off, and this gorgeous creature emerged...


And under it, this...


Tango, book and butterfly. Great combo! My dear, special, and thoughtful friend, thank you!!! I am touched and delighted. You made my day!

I am about to rework my inspiration board and the butterfly is going up. And I can't wait to start reading the book. Thank goodness it's nearly the weekend and I don't have too much planned.

I feel so lucky to have such special people in my life - people who hang in and always come through for me in their own ways (even when I can be hard to reach and really don't deserve it) and who enrich my life beyond description.

This was a gesture that reminded me to be thankful, on a day when I needed to be reminded. Thank you for that too!

A sweet treat

Someone who clearly knows me very well, brought me this little treat from a trip to Paris. It was beautifully wrapped as these things are when one buys them in France. And once unwrapped, it was a gem of nougaty loveliness. It seemed a bit criminal to eat it really, it was so beautiful. But I did. And it was delicious. Yum!

Inspiration

I recently travelled home and was gifted with this incredible quilt by my aunt.

No photograph can really do it justice and this doesn't. It so perfectly captures me and my life and I know was made with a lot of love. I can see it and feel it in every inch.

You might be wondering what this has to do with blogging? Well, it also inspired the title of this new blog - she named it Dance of a Painted Lady. And that captures me and my life perfectly too. My aunt always believes (even when I really don't!) that there is something beautiful in me that is waiting to find wings and take flight. Actually I am lucky enough to have several people in my life who believe that. But this aunt has expressed it so beautifully in this quilt. All the love, all the belief, expressed in an exquisitely personal gift. Who could ask for more than that? Not me.