Picking up sticks... x

Today at the local market, I met a man that picked up sticks...
He sanded them, shaped them, oiled them and sometimes just left them as they were when he found them...
I was so taken by his beautiful craft ...I bought pieces from him and brought them into my home....I do love wood !

2nd April, 2010 x

Trying to keep it simple....and natural x

Now I keep a simple home (have done for most of my life...) of wood and grain and seed and leaf...when my now fully grown son was a small boy, we lived a very rustic basic lifestyle...times change...but I still try to maintain this ....
its just that sometimes...as the photo way below shows, plastics creep in!!!! This happened on my daughters 6th Birthday. She loves this land of plastic on occasion..so how I get round this, is to put the 'plastic play' in a plastic box and store it away. It doesnt come out on special occasions (there's nothing special about plastic after all), it just comes out sometimes....she mingles her 'plastics' with felted bunnies and mushroom houses....and draws the platic world into her own wonderful world of fantasy and imagination....
Whenever I go to a thrift shop, I notice, its full of plastic toys...but wooden, they're harder to find...because they're special...they're timeless!
Here's to keeping it simple....with a little help from plastics x

2nd April 2010 x

Keeping it all together....

well ...sort of...
I've been looking at a lot of crafty blogs of late, and what I'm noticing is not only how talented people are, but how they 'keep it all together'...
Photos often depict 'not a hair out of place' , so to speak...and this led me to thinking about the 'modern day dilemma'....
Often we mums feel the need, conscious or not, of being 'seen' as holding it all together...we cook, we sew, we make lovely things, raise well balanced children and sometimes look ok ourselves.
Well, I just wanted to say, that sometimes...its not about keeping it together...things get out of place, hairs stand on end, meals arent always perfectly balanced ...and thats ok ! I'm not a perfect mum...Im perfect for my children, but by no means not flawed...its the human condition...
So heres too unmade beds, clothing yet to be put away, a meal of soba noodles and tamari, and being human!
Happy human being-ness x

1st April, 2010 x

Autumn paint me a leaf of gold.

Today was the whole school Autumn festival, and I must admit it would have to be one of the sweetest times of the year for me. The sky is often cracked open and rains pour down with little warning. The temperature is pleasant and soft, and we wear lightweight 'cardies' and pullovers...just a beautiful time. Its a time of abundance and sharing, seeds in the earth and warm root vegetables....yes I am in love with this time of the year, thats for sure.
Its been a big 'year'. and tiring from an equally big day, I need rest....but for now....two precious 'moments' of the festival. Kindy silk gowns and my daughters drawing of st. Michael (with sword and with shield).
Heres to loving Autumn-ness x

A day in the life of.....

This post was inspired by Nicole (Frontier Dreams)...who visited the Asian grocery store, photos of which I found desirable and inviting...I decided that the things I may take for granted, others see with a different 'light'...blogging inspires me to see things differently...at times....So, here are some photos from our local store...I feel extremely grateful that there is an abundance of good food on offer .
Just outside of the store is an extremely beautiful florist...and when I asked if I could take a photo or two ( or three or four !! ), the woman agreed and thanked me for reminding her of the beauty that surrounds us all.
So, thankyou to Nicole and to this wonderful world !

Preparing for our festival x

Tuesday 30th March
You wont often find me putting the faces of our gorgeous little ones on line...but I am willing to put profile pictures on , on occassion. The reasons for this are quite simple really . Firsty, its out of respect for all children and their 'consent' if you like to be 'published' (does anyone remember the 7 up series....filmed every 7 years...and some of those children remarked as adults how that had affected their lives..). Its also due to our 'no photo ' policy in the school....and then I suppose, there is still a little trepidation in me regarding this medium, and where it leads !
This is one of those 'rare' occasions......and I simply couldnt resist x