wk 7 :: 52

a portrait of my boy

once a week

every week

for 2014

week 7 of 52

a play at the park with some mates

PS - photo credits go to this sewing lady .... great pics

wk 5 :: 52

a portrait of my boy

once a week

every week

for 2014

 5 :: 52

summer time fun

sparkling water

hot hot temps

swim little fish swim

wk 4 :: 52

a portrait of my boy

once a week

every week

for 2014

 4 :: 52

drawing & painting

a lion in our little smARTy's studio

wonderful times

the 52 project

one

two

& three

of fifty two

1 :: 52

a portrait of my boy

once a week

every week

for 2014

2 :: 52

joining in

on wednesdays

practising simplicity

the 52 project-2014

3 :: 52

ahhhh yes i know it isn't wednesday but

it was so hot!! study was like an oven so .....

enJOYing our journey

 a few pics that tell some of our

journey of late

the blue & pink fairies at our Playful Market

mother's group friends

family holiday escapes

 a plane does a fly-by over the sheep gathered in 'the stable'

pattern wrapped parcels

love my pink christmas tree

 precious little baby Amy May

hand on my hand

 some summer time beach sunshine & reading

lost teeth

enJOY your journey

xo

light & colour

that moment when

the switch is flicked

and the 'light' goes on

i love that a-ha moment on a child's face

or anyone's for that matter

oh & i might have chosen a style icon

replicas they might be

Aero pendant lights x3

adore them

when i chose them a while back

i very nearly did colour but ....

i'm glad on this occasion i went for white

the tones are lovely & the lighting is crisp

but did you know

light is colour  .... yep - its that light spectrum thing

right underneath these pendants is of course

where all the action happens

some lovely little artists in the studio today

i've had a long love affair with matisse

& his cut outs ...

no lines... just cut

 oh & a spontaneous 'can i paint now'

5 mins before we should have been walking out the door

.... yes of course you can!!

"its a river with a face

i love the colours mum"

nice to have these moments in the studio with my boy

i'm hoping he will love being in there

i think he will .... 

navigating

we're fresh faced from a trip around the globe

seriously .... kinda didn't mention it did i?

so been away for a month

did manage one post

t'was stashed in draft

so you maybe didn't realise i was mia?

we caught up with all my family in pennsylvania

only the 2nd time we've all been in the one place at the same time

all 12 of us - 3 generations

had a treat & stayed at a 'lake house' in the poconos

was little slice of summer in the woods

moustache a good time

camp fires and 'smores

then onto those green green hills

give me a pint of gat and a bottle of bulmers

seems us saxon-ish aussies are a whole lot more irish than i'd ever realised

donkey's years

wrecked

like hens teeth

in the boot

chips

wear a jumper for the fierce weather hey!

there's bug goin' round

doin' the washing

so yeah twas a great time we had beyont

do you get all that? and all?

aye its a fine day for young ducks

many hands make light work

castles were built a stone at a time

you are what you think

a watched kettle never boils

there's no fool like an old fool

making a start is one third of the work

"Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, 

just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul." 

Oscar Wilde

then onto the land of lion-heart
from the northern lakes to stone circles

london town & derwent pencils

big ben & lily whites
national railways museum

the thatch of the cotswolds

castles lanes valleys and fields

ancient baths and stories untold

 in case that was all goggly-goosh?

we were 4 weeks away ...

flew east across the pacific & away

to the usa, ireland & england

these images are all of a little 'travel quilt' i'm making for Oscar

it did travel with us as something to keep my hands busy

whipped up some border piecing the night before departure

backed pinned & bound 

took in hand perle thread & needle

fyi safety pins are just fine going through 'security' 

in some of the largest airports of our world!

moisturiser however in quantities greater than 100ml is not

not as much chunky stitching was done as intended

but the woven fabric badges

of the countries to where young Oscar (the lucky boy!)

has traveled in all his 5 years

well ..... they were collected!

the intention here is that on the back of the quilt

over time these badges will be sewn & most likely added to

he's a trouper of a traveler ....& got right into it

if i had to share just one travel hint for 

taking a 5 year old on such an adventure ...

i'd say pack a scooter 

..... didn't hear him say even once: i'm tired!

i hereby promise that there will be some

crafty historic or interesting stories to tell

with some real life 'pics' sometime soon

how do you choose from 1067 photos?

i'll work on that .... 

& another 'new studio' sum up post of on the now finished space

will come someday soon too

world map panel & coordinating fabrics are
love it

'What a World'

by P&B Textiles designed by Jill McDonald

 May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

party like a parrot & be a cool cat

yes the animals all partied!

there was puppy popcorn & hot dogs

dog biscuits

and pin-the-bow-on-the-kitty-cat

doggy bingo

cat cookies

musical critters

& puppy cake pops

oh & the most stunning rainbow pets paradise 

birthday cake!!

well done super mum!!

all to celebrate a young lady's 5th Birthday

hope you had a fabulous day Miss G & we're so glad you love 'Jess'

it was dress up time of course...

process went something like this:

me: "What would you like to dress up as Oscar?"

O: "a dog"

me: "excellent .....

so we go shopping for a hoodie for my usual costume conversion trick!

was thinking a 'dog' type colour

hmmm .... boys colours are so boring!

so we scanned the girls' section ....

the choice was made - turquoise

me: "Oscar, are you sure you would like to be a 'green' dog?"

O: "Yes I want to be green!"

me: "ok then .... " nothing like a challenge!

later ..... me: "how about being a green frog?"
O: "No, I don't like frogs!"

later .....

me: "How about being a green bird??" 

O: " ooooh yes I want to be a green PARROT!"

me: " awesome!!" 

(thought to myself ... whew! 

... worked out it was just all about being green!

have i brainwashed my child???)

so set about collecting as many green, aqua & turquoise 

fabric scraps

 cut a few 'feather' shapes & a couple of wings & tail

randomly placed & pinned & stitched rows of 'feathers'

 sliced the hoodie in the appropriate places

have got to mention that the inside out, right sides facing

encasing wings thing was actually a little tricky

but it worked yay!

sew in wings & tail feather

add a few details, a beak & eyes

go on .... fly little green parrot, be free!

and party like its 1999

shake that tail feather

he loved it!& i love it .....

what a fabulous party

lovely time in our 'village'

i am the Lorax. i speak for the trees

 "at the far end of town

where the Grickle-grass grows

... is the street of the Lifted Lorax"

there is a favourite story about these parts

its Dr Seuss' "The Lorax" 

(in case you hadn't quite picked that up!?)

its so well loved that it was the theme for

Oscar's 5th Birthday celebrations held recently

  "..... I came to this glorious place.

And I first saw the tress!

The Truffula Trees!

The bright-coloured tufts of the Truffula Trees!

Mile after mile in the fresh morning breeze."

 the Onceler was there, seeds planted

a game or two  .... pin the mustache on the Lorax

some dancing to the "bad song" .... & others from

the soundtrack to "The Lorax" the movie ...

 "But those trees! Those trees!

Those Truffula Trees!

All my life I'd been searching

for trees such as these.

The touch of their tufts

was much softer than silk.

And they had the sweet smell

of fresh butterfly milk."

 the party table was set

with a valley of green

mini truffula trees

made with pom poms & skewers

party food to match

with barbaloot bears & humming fish

  "UNLESS someone like you

cares a whole awful lot,

nothing is going to get better.

Its not."

  i so love the multiple messages within the story 

of the Lorax ....

with hindsight, the Onceler is regretful about his greed

there is an environment that we are given to care for

you, me ..... it always starts with the 'little' people of the world

 & there is always hope

it reminds me that really so much of what we have

we really don't NEED ....

  lots of lovely little friends joined in the fun

for in our village, there is always time to celebrate

these small kids & their families

are all part of our heart-felt 'village' & we love you
oooh ... check out this spunky Lorax dress made
especially to be worn to this party!!

how time flies - blink & your baby has turned 5 years old!

a No.5 cake, which when cut, was all 

green & orange & chocolate swirls

with some green-grickle-grass 

& 5 carefully picked Truffula Tree Red Velvet Cake Pops

mmmm .... yum!

  there were party loot bags with goodies

& truffula seeds & more barbaloots

special spontaneous moments with a grand-fatherly 'reading'

 we love you so much Oscar

so while you are slowly 'biggering' & 'biggering'

we hope you grow & learn & love & enJOY

... its your journey & we love having fun with you!

 all quotes are taken from the Dr.Seuss reference: "The Lorax"

first published in 1971