One perfect day

There's is no better day than today for hand quilting!
Let me paint the picture. Melbourne, freezing cold... ahem, 12 degress... that's considered freezing, isn't it?! The rain is coming down sideways and the hail stones have miraculously turned our trampoline tarp from black to a blinding white. The site of which makes it 'feel' arctic!
A DVD is playing (Z's favourite, a musical adaptation of Pinocchio, filmed in 1976, starring Danny Kaye) while Z and me snuggle up under quilts on the couch. I'm using the quilt above to keep me toasty while I hand stitch the quilt pieces together.
It really is a perfect day for ducks..... & quilting.

Autumn clean out

Busts originally from The National Gallery Art School, which Reshid purchased on its closure in 1973 (when it became part of VCA).

Gorgeous old light and french provincial chairs.

The studio door.

We are in the process of clearing out the L.F.'s Grandmothers house. It's packed full of incredible bits and pieces from one fully explored life. Doo is an amazing lady, who at 91, is still exceptionally intrigued by life. She's interested and I must say, endlessly fascinating.
Her husband, Reshid, was a member of the 20 Melbourne Painters' Society. They traveled Europe in a caravan with a little gas cooker. Reshid setting up his easel to paint while Doo coordinated and tended to the logistics and managed their social engagements. Back in Melbourne they ran art schools and lived quite the society lifestyle.
Needless to say the studio at the back of their house is, to this day, brimming with busts, easels, palette's, fantastic old drawings and a huge stack of original artworks, artbooks, projectors, hand dyed textiles.... it's endless.
We'll be there again this Saturday sifting through the remaining contents in preparation for a mega garage sale & for the auction houses to come take a peek. Firstly, however here's a snippet for you. So much beauty in one place it's staggering.

No words today....silence & joy, enjoy xox

Fankful Friday

Today I'd like to give thanks for all the beauty around me. These photos were taken over a number of mornings. Quiet mornings, spent pushing a pram around our neighbourhood, St Kilda, discovering all of her unsung treasures.

Thank you for the music.

I've been buzzing through a list of To-Do's today spurred on by music. Two songs in particular have really managed to put a pep in my step, Two Door Cinema Club's, You're not Stubborn and Elizabeth Mitchell's, So Glad I'm Here (a randon pair, I know!). They both lift my spirits. Even if I'm totally engrossed in a task I notice something has shifted inside me and a smile has crept across my face.
I really love music for this.

I hope your day has been all happy clappy as well. xox

Slow down & pretend..... like nature.

(Photo taken on our recent Easter break, at Lorne.)

I love a slow day hanging around our neighbourhood with little to do. It generally starts with a stop in at our local Cafe, where we happen across so many familiar and friendly faces. Frenetic exchanges and general enthusiasm & interest in one another's day ahead always ensues.... until I glide, coffee induced, back into the rhythm of the day.

Today we took a stroll to the St Kilda Library and I magically found 2 books (while down on the ground consoling Z after he hit his anklebone on a book stand...ouch) I've been meaning to track down for some time now. A copy of Amanda Soule's 'the creative family' and 'Small Fry Outdoors' written by Caroline Webster. They were sitting there on the bottom shelf of the 'Parenting' section, a shelf I rarely peruse.

Too early for Story Time we took the back exit out of the library onto Duke Street and discovered a new playground between Duke & Pakington Streets. Ahh, the joy of a new playground to discover and best of all...master.

Home for Z's nap & some quiet time for me. I'm going to try my hand at making my own Sourdough Bread.

'Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.”
St. Francis of Assisi

Walking the walk

First it was simply navigating my new Mac that seemed to be occupying my time....now it's the addition of photoshop. Wow! What a wonderful tool but seriously, where do I start? Hours at a time have disappeared while I fumble, create....loose everything and start again, afresh. I have no idea yet about layers and all the complexities involved but I am loving the experiment.

Lame, I know....I did create the banner! There was more to it than this....however, somewhere along the way I lost a couple of layers.

In the meantime, I thought I'd share some of the photos from a recent hike I did with 6, of my all time funniest & most compatible, friends along the Great Ocean Road. We hiked for 3 days starting at Blanket Bay we headed to Cape Otway for our 1st night, then onto Airie River and ended up at Johanna Beach for the 3rd night. We each carried packs (around 18kg) with our food, clothes & tents. An incredible achievement and every bit of it was an adventure. It really was pure joy to be out in nature with friends, testing our limits while having many a laugh.