Barefoot Wanderings

The Hardest & Best Job in the world....

This would have to be one of the best ads I have seen on TV for a long time. It is so beautiful and touching, it made me cry.

WOW!! It has been a year since I have posted on my blog, what has happened...

My sister got married!

and look how gorgeous my kids looked, even my little Tom-boy scrubbed up well!

 
 

After getting over the shock of turning thirty-ten, I decide to pull myself together and get fitter and healthier - I've lost 15 kilos!

Not the best photos to demonstrate but as usual slim pickings!

I don't have any recent photos to show as they are all of me rugged up during winter!

Family breaks at Terrigal, Blue Mountains and Bateman's Bay.

Another soccer season just finished - with not just the kids but Hubby playing too!!!
The usual Homework, Housework, Workwork, errands etc.... and another year older.

Some creating, art and otherwise - cooking, sewing. 

Masterchef has been a big hit in this household with both kids interested in cooking.
For my daughters birthday she got cooking utensils and had a mini Masterchef sleep over party.

I made these aprons for the kids (and an extra two for my son and his friend).

I made pizza dough and the kids rolled them out and topped them.

Then the next day, I had made pre-made vanilla cupcakes (from scratch not a packet mix) and the kids had heaps of fun decorating them, and filling their mouths. They had vanilla icing they could colour with food colouring and then top with mini marshmellows, sprinkles, mini choc buds, and choc icing in a can with various nozzles!

My son joined cubs.

Lots of reading - will have some recommendations in another post.

Music
I have been playing some of my 'oldies' but a newish one to recommend would be Save Me San Francisco by Train. Really love the words to some of the songs on this album. 

'Hey, Soul Sister'

Concerts 
Reliving my youth with Spandau Ballet - what a BLAST!!! If you loved them in the 80's you would have loved this concert. Was amazed at myself at the recall of the song lyrics. What I loved was the enjoyment on the bands faces, they certainly looked as though they were enjoying the moment.

and

the soulful, fabulous voice -  Paulo Nutini
'These Streets' - Acoustic              

He has so many great songs - Highly recommend you check him out if you haven't already. 

The Reveal.....

About midway through last year I started to feel that my studio needed a reshuffle and make over. This was highlighted even more when I returned from the UK after a month of not being in my studio, and instead of feeling like 'wow, I missed this space' I had the 'oohhh' sigh. So, seven months later, after a major furniture shuffle, creating further chaos of mountains of stuff as I sorted, I now have a happy space.....It is not perfect, I don't think it will ever be but it is my space.
Before I create more chaos I thought I'd take photos as this is, and will be, the tidiest it will ever be!!!!

.....and the 'Golden Tower' now has a more fitting shrine!

And the Winner is.....

..drumroll.... Ro!

Congratulations Ro, I'll be sending the package to you soon.
Have fun creating!

Thanks to everyone that left comments and sent emails.

Give Away

I am feeling a bit generous and inspired by Michelle Ward, so I have a little give away of some things I collected whilst I was on holidays.

 

Give away contents: White A4 sheet of decorative paper, green mesh, decorated tissue paper, handmade japanese papers, decorative serviettes and tissues, British Bookshops & Stationers Manila pockets/envelopes, and an unmounted stamp from a UK company.

All you need to do to enter/play is leave a comment on this post by next Monday August 13, and answer the following question: where did I go on holidays?
I'll then draw a name from a hat and send the package off to that lucky person...please remember to input your email address so I can contact you should you be the lucky winner.

A Gift from Myself

Today I recieved my order that I had placed with Anahata.

I know I paid for these goods but it felt like receiving a gift because of the beautiful way it was packaged. Such attention to detail, the tag they chose is personalised....look at the "U", even the box it came in had beautiful labels on it.

I got some of her books and I love what she said in one of them: "Make lots of crap! Crap is the receipe for success! You cannot make you favourite pieces all the time. Make lots of mediorce artwork while you wait for your breakthrough favourites."

In another book she shares another great insight: "The only way to make beautiful artwork is by making ugly artwork. And lots of it!"

Check out her blog & websites (Anahata Katkin and PaPaYa!) for some really cool stuff.

Death of a GMC!

My GMC (similar to a Dremel, but I've been told not as good) started to play up last week. I asked my very unhandy husband if he could take a look. His response: "Oh right, as if I'm going to say it's the alternator!" Anyway, he had a look at it...actually opening it up to look on the inside. I caught a glimpse and my immediate thought was 'Wow, look at all those bits I could use!' but knowing if he actually killed it that I wouldn't get a replacement for a while I was a bit nervous so I walked out of the room. 5 minutes later he had fixed it! His response to how did he do it was "I blew on it and poked a wire in that was sticking out!"

It continued to work for a bit on and off and then finally stopped working altogether on Wednesday night. Again I asked my unhandy husand to look at it. He gave it a whack in the right place and off it went again. This time his success didn't last too long, it sparked and whenever I used it there would be a bad smell. So Yesterday I treated myself to a Dremel. Doesn't she look beautiful!