Out in the sunshine

This weekend, it could have been Easter. The sun shone and the clouds stayed away, and we spent a blissful weekend in Cornwall for a birthday party. It was so lovely to be surrounded by children and out in the sea air... I feel fully refreshed and ready to tackle the shortened week ahead. Who wouldn't after this?

Project : : 1

Well, strictly not 1, but the first to finally make it here. There is a wonderful interiors shop in Oxford called North Light, which stocks scandinavian design products and fabric and about which I have developed a slight obsession! Luckily, I have a boyfriend who pays attention and filled my Christmas stocking with delights from its shelves.

My latest purchase was fabric to make these cushions for my sister, and an as yet un-photographed yoga mat bag for my mum for Christmas.



There is something a little 80s about this fabric, and yet they look perfect on against her Farrow and Ball walls, sitting on the window seat in her kitchen. Definitely a look that works for me.

Feeling festive at last

Well, a bit belated, but I am prolonging Christmas as long as possible, while at my parents' house with the tree and cats and log fires....

It took a while to get into the swing of things this year, but do you know what did it? Returning home to my bookshelves of childhood favourites and remembering the joy of Christmas books...



I even found the animation of this on you tube... which really took me back to my favourite family Christmas rituals...




What a joy. I even got a brilliant new camera from my boy. Which means I must now get up to scratch on my presentation - all being well it shan't take long...

Merry Christmas all, and Happy New Year.
xxx

Joyful

My favourite friends and I gathered in Paris last weekend for the best re-connection ever - a day of cycling around the boulevards, stopping to sip a chocolat chaud and watch the passers by, while catching up and indulging in a bit of mutual adoration.

These girls are my sisters and our friendships have evolved over the years into solid, reliable and bankable certainties. As a result, the weekends when we take stock together are always meaningful and restorative. Joyous indeed.

Another little distraction

I arrived home from college with great intentions of sitting at my desk and just 'cracking on' with my dissertation proposal... after all, it is early afternoon, I have the house to myself and a lovely cup of tea by my side. But look! What about the magical glow of the autumn leaves warming me through the window? And what about that lovely smell of bonfire from the garden next door? Why immerse myself in critical literature when there is so much to just. soak. up?

It has been a busy week, and instead of soldiering on I want to sit, take stock and procrastinate. What is so bad about that?

Birdwatching

A week or so ago while wading through the crowds at the Freshers Fair I was given a flyer from a group called Things with Wings. I had immediately been drawn to the stand because of a spindly display of little bird cut-outs hanging from some twigs in a jar. The group itself professes to like birds, and people who like birds. Not immediately convinced that I was quite what they were after, I took the flyer and scurried off past the hoards of sports teams trying (unsuccessfully) to rope me into their gangs.

Now the frenzy has passed however, this flyer is still around and it has got me thinking about why I was so drawn to that display. I like pretty things, I know that, and I love anything drawn from nature that is visually creative, but this combination of delicate twigs, jewel-like colours and good humour just seemed to chime somewhere and I want to use this inspiration for someting.

Anyhow, in the past few days I have been blog-browsing, and have come across Bridbird - an Irish girl relocated to Melbourne specialising in BEAUTIFUL bird-based prints and textiles. She has inspired me some more, and so I have begun to draw some bits and bobs. I should really be working. This is more fun.

Ticking along

October isn't disappointing me yet... Saturday morning was spent breathing in the chilled autumnal air, feeling the dew on my skin and soaking up the warm sun breaking through the mist. It was one of those mornings that is so beautiful that it makes you want to be a part of the landscape.

We were cat sitting for my parents and the task involves tending to chickens and plants as well as our beloved pusscats first thing in the morning and last thing at night. I think that there is something so wonderful about that sort of routine. My love of routine is sometimes extreme but in my mind totally rational - I feel at peace when my life moves to a steady rhythm, preferably with the seasons and so a life in the country which requires getting up and carrying out daily chores makes perfect sense. Besides, who would want to miss a morning like that?