Randomness

Just some random thoughts this windy Friday afternoon (a cold front is on its way - just in time for Spring!)...

• as my work world spins faster and faster, I think about spending more time dedicated to my creative practices - scrapbooking, art journalling, playing with mixed media, doodling, crocheting....
• I'm excited about joining Tanya's quarterly crafting group - a gathering of handcrafters who knit, crochet, bead and just generally a bunch of ladies who love making stuff
• I'm starting to think about buying / making Christmas gifts - I always prefer to be mindful about choosing gifts for my loved ones, rather than a last minute rush in December
• I'm freeing up some diary space to spend time with my mother, who needs love and comfort and care and kindness as she battles the ravages of age
• I love facilitating Retreats for Women, but I think about how much extra time I would have available if I didn't do this in 2014...time that I could use for exploring and replenishing my own artistic heart
• I want to go birdwatching again; I want to see the new green leaves and pink buds of spring on the trees; I want to be 'out there' in nature
• I am desperate for a short bush break - to hear the sound of nightjars and jackal and owls and hippo's snorting
• I want to play in this book from Dyan Reaveley which arrived recently on my doorstep from London...

Happy Birthday Princess

Happy 4th Birthday Princess Elizabeth!!  Love you to the moon and back baby girl!

There was a whole lotta silliness going on this weekend...

but every princess still needs her daddy...

it's ok to bounce on your aunty Ali's bed at 7 in the morning if it's your birthday, especially if you are this cute and gorgeous!

it's hard work decorating your own birthday cake

 

a quick taste to check that everything is ok, and then blow out all those candles

 

this cutie pie is miss Katy...she also enjoyed the birthday party

The 'ing' list

working on counting calories and drinking water and walking regularly

watching the Biggest Loser (big motivation for items listed above!)

listening to Gospel music again (I love the old Hillsongs CD's)

trying to win the paper war in my study - filing is NOT my strong point!

preparing to visit my family this weekend and celebrate Elizabeth's 4th birthday

loving the idea of snail mail, so I'm writing a few 'happy mail' notes and posting them the good old fashioned way

revisiting the art on my bedroom wall - I downloaded the print above from Studio Calico and framed it

continuing to go for regular treatments with my chiropractor, and have frequent deep tissue massages to ease sore shoulders and a bad back

wanting to find a way to support my retired Uncle in Port Elizabeth

laughing at miss Ruby trying to catch the pigeons

brainstorming a scrapbook challenge layout for the Scrap Addicts retreat in September

re-organizing all of my completed scrapbook layouts into albums, and moving things around into albums for Elizabeth and Katy

enjoying a ton of new Sharpie pens in lots of different colours


Go say hello to Kathy and see her 'ing' list which inspired my list... 

What's on your 'ing' list?

Retreats for Women

I hosted my 3rd retreat for women on Saturday.  The beautiful weather combined with the gorgeous venue at Walter Sisulu Botanical Gardens was the ideal setting for the retreat.  6 ladies joined me on retreat, and I was very blessed to have my special friend Lynn, co-hosting with me.

 

I see art and creativity as a special gift that I give to myself, and it brings such joy to my life.  That's part of what I share with the ladies on retreat.  I love it when the 'non-artists' discover how easy it is to make art, and they then fall in love with paint and doodling and pottering around with art supplies.  My sister, Caron, kept saying "I can't believe I made that!!"  Awesome...

 

The end of a beautiful day - Alison, Caron, Lynn and Lynette

Lynn and I - her support and encouragement means sooo much to me!

Lynn made these delicious cupcakes with hidden centers

 Wendy and her very talented daughter Linda, who is doing a Masters degree in Art Therapy in Edinburgh

Lynn, Marlene and Kalnisha

Kalnisha and Marlene

My beautiful sister, Caron

Marlene painting hearts

Promise books

Linda's heart cards

Lynette's heart cards

Marlene's heart cards

Wendy's heart cards

Caron's heart cards

Kalnisha's heart cards

 

 

Ready to Retreat

I am hosting a Retreat for Women on Saturday.  I am packed and ready to roll with a ton of creative supplies.  Looking so forward to spending time on retreat with a group of awesome women!

Scrapbooking layouts to share

Here are some layouts that I completed last weekend...

These last 3 layouts were designed by Retha van der Walt and are some of the projects from the recent Escape and Create scrapbooking day

Weekend in review

Friday was a public holiday so I got to enjoy a lovely long weekend.  I was up early on Friday morning to make lemon and yogurt cupcakes before Lynn arrived to spend the day scrapbooking with me.  It was a really chilly and wet day - perfect for scrapbooking with my BFF!

 

 

 

On Saturday, it was garden clean-up day, and my garden is now almost ready for spring planting; just need a gazillion bags of compost to go into the ground.

 

 

 

On Sunday, I relaxed, read a lot, laughed at miss Ruby stalking the pigeons, and made some lasagne - one to eat and 2 for the freezer.  I also started filing a huge pile of completed scrapbook layouts.