Heralding in the New Year

Is it too late to herald in the new year?  I know we're into the third week of the year, but I feel like my feet haven't hit the ground since the clock ticked over into the new year!

2013 has been contemplated, mulled over, written about, and packaged up ready for this exciting new year to begin.  I do love the very beginning of a new year.  So much potential.  Potential for doing things differently.  To learn from the mistakes of the year that has finished, and to rejoice in the things we may have got right, making sure there is room for more of the same.

I feel like I've jumped in boots and all into this new year.  I have so many exciting plans, small, but exciting!!  Plans to connect with friends through creative projects, plans for puppies to join our family, plans for de-cluttering on a major scale (inspired by a blogger who gave away one item a day for 365 days!), plans for a visit to a yoga retreat with a buddy, plans to finish lots of projects, plans to renovate a room, plans, plans, plans ...

What about you?  Do you have exciting plans for the year ahead?  Are you already on your way with them?  And I know I'm a bit late with this but I wish you a fabulous 2014!!

Trudy

Photos :  Stained Glass Windows from our local Hall.

Shoe Dilemma

At the bottom of my wardrobe I keep all my shoes in shoe boxes.  Makes sense, right?  I thought I knew what was in every box (there isn't many) but recently I needed to remind myself because we went to a wedding and I needed *shoes*.

To my horror and dismay one box was empty and three pairs of shoes no longer fit.  Yes, three pairs!  Do you know what happens to your feet as you get older?  Have you heard?  They get wider.  Brilliant.  That it should happen just now ...

So my not-so-amazing shoe collection is *kapow* just like that, three pairs of shoes down.  This is not good.  And what I'm left with is work shoes, runners (which hardly see the light of day), slippers, boots, jazz shoes (I still have my jazz shoes?! from that time in my far away past when I went to jazz classes, which was at least a million years ago), my *always got a pair of red* shoes and summer Birkenstocks.  Not a dress shoe in sight.

I confess, while I adore this type of shoe ...

A part of me is mourning the loss of this particular pair of shoes ...

Check out those heels.  Heels use to be an everyday affair.  Heels and short skirts and off to work I'd go!!  Anyway, enough with the shoes, we went to a wedding;  you wanna see the bride and groom?  My gorgeous nephew and his beautiful wife.

Wedding Part I - Melbourne, Part II - Hanoi, and yes, we're going!!  There will be stories to tell, soon, not just yet.

Happy day!
Trudy

The Great Room Juggle

There has been a juggling of rooms at No. 16.  Girl 1 and Girl 2 thought it would be really, really special (in fact, awesome) to have their own bedrooms now that they are thirteen and eleven, and to decorate their rooms themselves.  So off we went to make it happen.  Not an easy task.  Not an overnight change, but indeed weeks and weeks in the making.

As a result, we now have a very green room.   

And we have a very pink room. 

To say the girls have enjoyed decorating their rooms is an understatement.  They've had an absolute ball.  We even had a shopping trip to Ikea during the holidays to pick up some bits and bobs to complete their rooms.  The most amazing outcome has been the constant tidying and vacuuming of their rooms!!!  Witness the Happy Mum doing the Happy Dance!!

And I've packed up my *make and do room* and gone into their old bedroom and now need to start all over again with making a room look like a creative space and not a bedroom.  It was rather nice to relocate my special books.

To hang a special little piece of mine next to two little girls who were left behind as a reminder of whose room it once was.

To finally hang an old school map that has lived under a bed for at least a year or more (or even more?) waiting for the perfect place to hang it.  And to turn an ordinary, everyday bed into a day bed.  A place to think, dream or drift off when the sun shines through the window.

But what I still have to do is deal with all the things that don't fit anywhere yet.  Yikes, I need a magic cupboard!  One that looks like a normal sized cupboard on the outside but has unlimited space inside, because just look at what I'm still dealing with here.  I need to de-clutter.  I need to let go.  I need to let go.  I need to let go!

But the important things have been done.  My baskets of crochet squares and unfinished blankets are looking very pretty!!

It's a skill to be able to focus on the tiny details and block out the major mess surrounding those tiny, perfectly ordered details!!  A skill I have in very limited amount.  Any storage hints and tips gratefully accepted.


Have a fabulous day and a wonderful weekend.
Trudy

List of Random Things

Hello Peeps.  It's been a while, sorry 'bout that.  Definitely time for a bit of a catch up.  I thought a list could be fun!  Who can resist a good list?  I love them.  This one can be found at Meet Me At Mikes blog, if you'd like to make your own.

Making
A room for a gypsy party which required pulling bits and pieces from all over the house, but delighting in the squeal of a gaggle of gypsies as they went inside.

Cooking
Hmmm, tricky ... does popping a crumpet in the toaster count for cooking?

Drinking
Chai Latte in a new Kookaburra mug, given to me by my sweetheart to celebrate our meeting sixteen years ago.

Reading
Just finished "After You'd Gone" by Maggie O'Farrell which was so terrific-a-read that I want to find another book by her, although "Wuthering Heights" is also calling.  How could I have missed this one over the years?  Recently found a lovely copy, illustrated by Ruben Toledo.

Wanting
The sky to be blue rather than fifty shades of grey.  Okay, I know it's Winter but this wind, rain, sleet is Just Too Much!

Looking
At the mess that is our family room and wondering if we'll ever finish renovating this house.

Playing
Squash ... on the couch on a Friday night, our movie night.  One couch facing the telly and four bottoms jostling for space. It's kinda fun until limbs go numb.

Wasting
Time.  Deliberating, thinking, changing my mind, rather than just doing. Reminds me of a Nike ad ... Just Do It.

Sewing
Hand sewing a quilt dedicated to all the women in my family history, and loving the gentle art of making it stitch by slow stitch throughout this Winter.

Wishing
I was slim enough and daring enough and young and gorgeous enough to wear a crochet skirt and look this good in it!!  See it there, just peeking out from below the shirt?

Enjoying
The new range of macarons in our store and needing to try all the different flavours so that I can recommend them to others!! The raspberry is a current favourite, with the chocolate one very close behind.

Waiting
For the electrician and the carpet layer to arrive to finish off my girl's room, then it's full steam ahead to set her up in her very own teenager room.  Just think "green"!!

Liking
The bright green wall in my daughter's room even though I didn't think I would.

Wondering
If a new puppy will make it a bit better.  If a new puppy will fill the hole in our hearts this gorgeous girl has left us all with.  So much a part of our lives for fourteen happy tail waggy years.

Loving
Now having two consecutive days off in my working week, Friday followed by Saturday. Two days, what bliss!!  Yippee!
 
Hoping
That hanging some festive Union Jack bunting in the hallway will spur us on to make the rest of our home cheery and bright.

Marvelling
At the joy of children.  Of their love of celebration and dance.  Of being surrounded by friends and living in the moment.  We can learn so much from children.

Needing
A date night with my man.  A day off painting a room together does not count for quality time together.

Smelling
The daphne as I come through the gate.  Beautiful, beautiful perfume.  So sweet.

Wearing
New black suede, lace up ankle boots which have been on my wish list for at least two Winters.  I think of my great grandmothers every time I pull them on and draw them tight.

Following
The lives, loves and losses of my favourite characters on my favourite show "Offspring" as another series comes to an end. Did I cry?  Of course I did.

Noticing
That any day now our blossom tree will ... well, blossom!

Knowing
I'll never have enough time to read all the magazines I'm bringing home from the newsagent, but not being able to resist anyway, and looking at the growing piles in my room and thinking I'm basically not very bright to keep doing it.

Thinking
About a holiday later in the year.  Planning, dreaming, learning new phrases, saving hard and wishing it was sooner rather than later.

Bookmarking
Recipes!!  Who would have thought?  But yes, I bookmark recipes to make "one day". That day may not come soon, but I'll be ready with my supply of recipes (and my spatula)!


Opening
Bills, wishing they were letters.  If anyone would like to drop me a happy note in the mail that would be lovely (P.O. Box 129 Foster, 3960, Victoria, Australia)!!!!

Giggling
I'm not a giggler.  I laugh.  And sometimes I laugh until I slap my hand on my thigh, but I don't think I've giggled since I was six.

Feeling
Slightly overwhelmed by everything I do and everything I don't do, and wondering if I'll ever be able to simply relax and go with the flow.

Thanks for popping in to see me.  I'll be back on track catching up with you all soon.
Bye for now, Trudy

Giddy with Excitement

I absolutely love how a change of routine can make you giddy with excitement for something that once happened so frequently it was taken for granted, and that is a day to oneself to do with exactly as one pleases!!

I went to bed last night going over all the options in my head for what today would hold.  I knew I wanted a home day, no driving in the car, and I simply was not entertaining any thoughts of being in touch with my inner Domestic Goddess.  No way!  The house, I thought, was relatively clean and tidy, the washing of clothes was pretty much up to the minute, so all those thoughts were pushed aside.  This was going to be a guilt-free day!  A day for taking it easy.  And who better to learn from than this one.

Girls up, washed, dressed, fed and out the door by 8.30 with a "Have a fabulous day.  Love you!"  And then seven whole hours stretched out ahead of me, to play with, to fill exactly how I pleased.  What to do first?  Get dressed, or lounge around in my pyjamas all day?  Be completely decadent and watch a movie, read a book, flip through magazine pages.  Crochet, knit, cut fabric, quilt, take photos, sort through family history?  I'd love it if you came over and we could have a cup of tea and do a spot of crafting together.

The bed was made because I didn't want the temptation of sneaking back there, then after doing time on the computer catching up on some lovely blog visiting, and some serious family history catching-up, crochet on the couch with my pooch and an episode or two of "Offspring" finally won out.  No guilt.

And now I feel refreshed and ready to go again.  Sometimes we just need a bit of time to do something or nothing or whatever takes our fancy.  It certainly worked wonders for this little black duck!!

Thanks for popping in.
Trudy

A Lovely Surprise

This working business is wearying.  I'm needing to do things differently, to fit everything in.  There is organising and planning to be done before I start each day.  More time driving in the car, so we all have to be on time in the mornings.  Girl 1 is making all the lunches.  Girl 2 is sacrificing a little bit of her much-loved sleep to be ready for school 15 minutes earlier.  And we're getting into a new routine.  Working on Sundays is hard, hubby is doing the very early shift, then I'm taking over the morning to mid-afternoon one.

It will all become easier I know.  Our busy timetable will soon be etched into our minds and not just scrawled onto a big piece of butcher's paper hanging on the kitchen wall.  Today I got such a lovely surprise when I arrived home from work.  I walked into our house to find our two gorgeous girls all dressed up, and I was led to the dining room table.  They had prepared a banquet for afternoon tea!!

The table had been set so beautifully.  There were candles glowing, pretty plates and favourite glasses and lots and lots of roses from the garden.  Bowls of fruit and bowls of chocolates.  It was very decadent indeed, for a Sunday afternoon in summer, but oh so welcome.  We toasted everything we could think of until it got silly.

A scrumptious Orange Ring Cake had been made by my girls, my Mum's recipe, and a favourite of ours  It had lashings of chocolate icing, cherries and tiny Easter eggs on top!  There is always a surprise element to cake decorating practices in this house.

It was such a perfect welcome home from work, which lead to a lazy, fully content afternoon of magazine reading and cups of tea, with just a few *domestic goddess* duties thrown in and not much thought of the week ahead.

Feeling twice and thrice times blessed, and then some.
Wishing you all a lovely week.
Trudy

Barn Sale

Girl 2 and I had some time to ourselves recently and headed out the door, jumped in the car, and drove down a dirt road to go to an advertised Barn Sale.  I was full of excitement for what that little barn in the bush might hold and I wasn't disappointed.

When we pulled up outside the given address, I even found the barn to be enticing.  Just imagine what fun could be had if we had a barn like that to play and craft in.  And just have a look at the beautifully peaceful view.  *Sigh*

Inside were goodies in every direction I looked!  Some I wanted to bring home, others were fun just to look at.  A little corner of kitsch Australiana, tall and slender coffee pots, some earthy '80's ware which was all too familiar ...

... and there was one item that simply jumped out at me, wanting and needing to be taken home (with the perfect place already in mind).  Fortunately I had a little bit of pocket money with me, and we beamed, did Girl 2 and I, as we skipped out of that barn and home to put our new-old globe on top of the piano.

 

It had to be really, didn't it?  Look at that lovely teal colour!!  You know how much I love teal.  I think globes could become a serious collector's item in this house (this is the second globe we have now) as I simply adore them, for their roundness, for their colours, for their dream potential, for their learning.  And a centrepiece on a table - gorgeous!

 

Photo by Natasha www.beautifullysuddenly.blogspot.com.au, via Pinterest

And now to Reverb 12 and today's question :  What was your most significant expenditure in 2012?

 

That's an easy one!  Our piano.  We had such fun all year saving up as a family for this major purchase.  And we love it.  We all have a bit of a play, by ourselves or crazy duets.  Next year we may consider lessons, but at the moment it is all about the fun of it, and having music *of a different kind* fill the house.  And I'm finding the joy of playing far more than I ever did as a child.

 

What about you, what was your most significant expenditure?

Do you have a love of old globes too?

 

Trudy

 

Monday Night

Sitting cross-legged on the couch with my laptop and attempting to get familiar with my first ever pair of "wear them all the time glasses" with graduated lenses.  Such a joy to collect them today from the optometrist and to walk outside seeing all the signage everywhere - so clearly, and driving in the car and seeing number plates on other vehicles, and leaves on trees - wow!!  I had a very big grin on my face.  They are very groovy too, with red frames.

Girls are tucked up in bed.  It's been a very busy day with Girl 1 winning her Public Speaking Competition at school, and Girl 2 rehearsing five hours for her dance concert coming up on Friday night.  I think they will both sleep very well tonight.

And me?  I just wanted to pop in and say hello, and thank you for all the lovely comments you leave me, and the support and encouragement you show me, here on my blog.  It is such a thrill to read what you have to say, to know someone is reading and to share and delight in our similar interests.

 

And now I think I'll jump into bed with my book and experience being able to read and then look up and around me and have everything in focus ... such a novelty!!

 

'night, Trudy

D-D E D G F, D-D E D G F

Hello!  What a grand day to be having a birthday!!  The sky is the most wonderful shade of blue, the sun is belting out some heat, the little Spring birdies are busily chirping and I'm being treated like a Princess.  You gotta love birthdays!!

It started when I heard the tinkling on the piano this morning, D-D E D G F, D-D E D G F and was woken from a deep sleep.  Then a sensational breakfast tray festooned (what a great word!) with an entire branch of our flowering apple blossom, and roses and little cocktail umbrellas stuck into pretty bowls of strawberries and fresh pineapple.

Some beautifully hand chosen pressies from my girls, were opened.  Gorgeous, they know me so well.

 

 

And from my husband a beautiful red teacup, which I've already had a lovely cup of Chai tea in, some chocolates, a fabulous book (more on that later) and a day's photography class in Canberra set for early in the new year!

 

 

A very special lunch at home with all the men in my life!  Husband, father and two brothers, who sang a beautifully deep version of Happy Birthday.

 

 

 

And then an afternoon with Jane Austen, watching "Persuasion", with a bowl of chocolates by my side.  Ah, bliss.

 

 

And of course a birthday cake, with a nod to Halloween tomorrow, orange icing and ... are they bats on the cake?  With a ballerina twirling in the middle and the cocktail umbrellas from the morning making a repeat performance ... brilliant!!  Love birthdays.  And not even thinking about the number.

 

Seeya tomorrow for the last day of Blogtoberfest!!!

Trudy





Crochet and Piano Playing

The day unfolded just as was hoped.  And just as it should every now and again.  There was a very relaxed start, time for a cuppa in bed with a book to finish, and later in the day a new one to start.  There was hours spent in pyjamas, and there was time left completely alone.

There was a lot of time spent jostling for a seat at the piano.  Lots of fun playing duets together, learning new tunes, playing them as fast as possible, or going over and over notes until they were just right.  We all played and it was nice to get to know our new-old piano.

 

And there has been some particular learning and practising of a very important tune, that will undoubtedly get a little bit of air-play next week!

 

 

And there was time for crochet.  I'm into the third row of the four-row pattern of the Catherine Wheel and I'm very happy to report there has been no undoing of rows.  Yeah!!  Time for a bit of a happy dance!  It's lovely watching as the colours and stitches start playing together.

How did you spend your Saturday?
Trudy