hooked on a whale

on Oscar's bag hook at kinder
he has a picture of a

whale

 another child has a dolphin on theirs

so we have been having lots of chats

about the differences!
he's been a bit confused

found some great whale pics

but my favourite is this

made by the very clever
mevrouw of
valaan villapaita
whom i have asked permission to use this photo
of her gorgeous work ...
also love her header
i so wish i could read about it all ...i adore this whale softie
oooh ohh ooo
just found this one made by her as well ...
adore
 
... also while 'talking' whale & dolphin differences
we've been reading:

i love usborne books ...

we love this book
(which i'm not sure you can buy in Australia anymore!)

& there is an awesome fold out page on the

blue whale

did you know that the blue whale is the largest animal that ever lived?
even bigger than the largest dinosaur?
its tongue is as heavy as an elephant?
their calls are the loudest of any animal?
the heaviest blue whales weigh more than a medium sized plane?
and that they are longer than a tennis court?
there you go!
not sure Oscar is about to spout these facts
but you've got to start somewhere hey!
oh & we have only recently viewed 'nemo'
for the first time ... the whale helps nemo of course!
 I would so love to make him one ... like mevrouw's

will see what i can manage

& i'm still thinking about that sausage dog too!

a cup of pink

had a little artist in my life

(not Oscar)

ask me yesterday where the white paint was?

yep

7 whole days ago i gave her the hint that if

you mixed white with red something magical happens!

her world changed forever

what a privilege hey!

& 7 days later she remembered even more the point

whooo hooo!!

my pink cup runneth over

(hope her mummy doesn't mind me posting a close up of the evidence!?)

we all have these 'changed forever' days & moments

when something happens or is said or found

or simply falls in your lap, often when you weren't looking for it!

when it does 

i'm usually terrified & am not sure what to do with it

if i want it or rather to do it?

hmmm sound like a riddle?

kind of is i guess ...

i've had a few people say to me lately

your life is so interesting & there's always something happening ...

... guess it is but i get bored otherwise

its busy & full & wonderful

somehow there is not enough time

& yet i still find myself idle a-plenty

i flog myself for wasting it you know!

flogging myself i mutter:

"seriously get out there girl & get going

you can do more & you want to"

bring it on .... yep just NEED a studio ...

so we can have many many more

PINK

discovery moments

i love it!!

made to order

 whole lot of hooting goodness

x2 small quilted blankets

type i make & sell at my little markets

made to order, parceled up & handed over today

what is it that is said?

same same but different?

... thrifty wood

 ... can hardly believe our good luck lately

new to us for free

 the previous custodians were simply pleased to have 

this gorgeous wardrobe taken away

i had been hunting for a 'just right' larger

 wardrobe for Oscar on eBay

had in mind to find a dark wood piece 

that was just crying out for a little paint 

& mod podge transformation in the form of 

branches & leaves

hmmm needless to say that i will not be

giving this new beauty the same treatment

& we have more beauties below...

with my kiddy art studio on my mind a-plenty lately

groups of 4 pre-kinder & kinders is the plan

so you can see why this set of very cool

retro chairs were irresistible!

i love them and they are larger than they appear

strong & sturdy as the day they were made

and the stories... oooh i'd love to hear a story or 2 from them!

just in need a wire brush run over them 

& maybe a little light sand

& a good oil ... perfect

below is the hall style table that i spotted
early last monday morning

on a nature strip ...

heading back home after dropping
my big boy at the station

was sort of still in my pj's!
& in the wrong vehicle

stopped, checked it out, laid said table on side

hoping no one else might spot it too!?

high tailed back home

swapped vehicles in a massive hurry

bribed the 3year old to 'move-along-quick-sticks'!! ...

whew ... & it was mine

along with a great hoard of Lego!

 so joining in the Haby Goddess'

make

grow

thrift

... great thrifty finds hey ...

... love a log cabin

creeping along ... 

added few more layers to this

piece-in-the-moment

kind of abstract free style log cabin patchwork 

which i love doing

this crept out of my scrap box

& now i've done some minimal

machine quilting lines

to which tomorrow night

at SAY ... i will add some little hand quilting stitches ...

 i've even got back into some 

market sewing ...

MPAY: On the Wall?

 joining in

My Place and Yours

thanks Vic

so what is on my walls?

we've been here 12 months & i have managed to actually commit 

to a few hooks in the plaster

above above: birds paintings by me

i should paint more often

above: said birdies with pair of seed pods

i know i know they have been said to look like something else

hanging happily in our kitchen

you can see the edge of the fridge, pantry &

a corner of the bench

below: a tree created in printmaking

when i was in first year uni

all these pics that you see framed

i framed them

yep my parents one Christmas a long time ago now

gave myself & SIL the gift of framing classes

seriously one of the BEST EVER gifts!

i framed heaps for other people so if you need?

above:  little mini prints or cards from somewhere

i like the retro 50's feel they have

outside Oscar's bedroom

below: to the left of our fridge

tiny piece

about 4"x3"

bought because i love it 

at the Camden Market

outside of London

i love having items about home

that speak of our travels

 above: more travel treasures

also framed by me ...

tiny chinese embrioderies

one is an interesting design but i can see birds in it

& the other i like to think of

as a phoenix ...

here they are in detail below

soul deep, reap, sow & sewn, blessed

 everyone feels loss

last week we said goodbye to a family member

the celebration was full of colour & great memories

it was an honor to have known her

in my first memories of her, she was a princess

the bride of my eldest cousin

she was someone with whom you could connect

in an honest 'true self' way
she was a woman who reaped what she sowed

no pretense or hiding behind histories & no games

just real thoughtful gracious caring heart-felt godly living

49 is too early when you look from the outside in

but she was ready to meet her maker

so many loved ones before her to greet her & welcome her home

& where she will revel in the celebration of her kingdom come

she has run the race & fought the good fight

she has kept the faith

God speed KGS

i choked & stumbled in my own humanity

in saying a humble goodbye

& watched in awe how her very near & dear

found such strength
A, R, M & E you are amazing
times at BH will always be cherished i am sure

so to this extended family of mine

who've 'had their moments'

let us get on with living

remembering & celebrating

but truly living ...

& to all my old & new friends
you are a gift in my life
treasured gold
lately i've been stuck with
a pounding in my ears ... 
in a mix of the good & not so 
of exhausted unnecessary energies,
sunshine-y days spent with toes buried in river sand & mud
that add up to the usual 
summer creative slump
(PS: i saw another sausage dog ... are they reminding me?)
& of course the loss of the above mentioned 
wonderful lady ...
but also grieving the
lost opportunities of family times 
that could have been
& i haven't been able to focus creatively
on what 're-charges' me!
have you noticed some silence here?
last night i was able to make a start
i turned my overflowing
fabric scrap box out on the table
& pieced (while at SAY) ... piece by peace!
i see a kind of symbolism here:
in the taking the parts of the old
& making them into something new
it was good
today is a new day

music always swells my emotion & often surfaces 

the essence of my thoughts in words 

that i can't perhaps voice on my own

here's a current favourite verse

Throw your soul through every open door
Count your blessings to find what you look for
Turn my sorrow into treasured gold
You'll pay me back in kind and reap just what you've sown

Edit: a great post over here all about KGS

Thanks for sharing Meridith