bringing boredom back

It's possible for boredom to deliver us to our best selves, the ones that long for risk and illumination and unspeakable beauty. 

        Nancy H Blakey

My little girl first uttered the words 'I'm bored' before she hit three. Where did she pick it up from? Peppa Pig I fear... She didn't really know what it meant but it still stopped me in my tracks. Bored? You're two for heaven's sake. Go and stare at a ladybird or something. 


I can hardly remember feeling bored as a child (outside of a hardware shop that is. God, the crippling agony of a weekend trip to B&Q). Instead I remember day-dreaming, making up stories, sitting on the stairs and looking at the rainbows on my eyelashes. I remember lying on my bed and breathing in the wonderful smell of the freshly laundered sheets, I remember watching the dust float in the sunlight in my Nan's house as I listened to her singing in the kitchen, I remember letting my mother's silver chain heap up onto my palm over and over again because I loved the way it felt. Hell, I remember those 'boring' moments as being as close to the very essence of childhood as you can get. Carefree and imaginative, moments lacking structure but full of life and potential. Blissful moments. 


Giving my little girl the space to fill her own time and head with things and thoughts of her own making is surely important. The TV, structured play, puzzles and craft activities all have their place but so should those moments where there's absolutely nothing to do at all. Same goes for me too. 


So we're turning off the TV and putting away the craft stuff- we're bringing back boredom! We need more of it. At least for an hour or two.

that gorgeous late afternoon summer sun

There is something so magical about the time of day when the summer sun is dipping and the world suddenly turns into a hazy gold.

Time slows down, you can feel a sweetness in the air, a lazy, happy, summer buzz.

Always my absolute favorite time to be outdoors on these hot summer days. 

(hope you're enjoying some sunshine wherever you are x)

Edie being happy = me being happy

I just LOVE those massive toothy smiles! They make my day. 

it's not a bat, darling, it's half a tube of mascara and two inches of eyeliner

If you go and your make-up done by MAC, on your birthday, as a treat, be prepared to feel like a drag act, at midday, on say, a Sunday. Brace yourself for a dash to the ladies before lunch so that you can attempt to modify your eyes with a wet wipe. Then when you meet your husband and little girl in Topshop you may hear the words 'MUMMY! WHY HAVE YOU GOT A BAT ON YOUR FACE!' echo around the shoe department. 

Good stuff though. It's a bugger to get off. 

floral vintage

My new Floral Vintage print in golden is framed and hung. I love the colours; so sunny and warm when it's so grey and rainy outside. Maybe that's why I'm so drawn to these summery colours right now? Because I'm craving some golden sunlight. Of course it is.


In fact, I made a little golden inspiration wall above my desk. 

I'm in the process of producing the floral print in another colour-way, a purple vintage inspired edition. It's pretty. 

Want to start working on a new design this evening. I've got plans for something a little more hectic.


This post has been linked up to Faith, Hope and Charity Shopping's Ta-Dah! Tuesday...

go geek out on what you love

'Ooo, more sprinkles on that, please.'

vintage fabric inspiration

This is what I'm inspired by right now- making artwork based on the gorgeous prints and patterns of days long gone by. I love the colours, the floral patterns, the hand-drawn look of many of the designs. They don't pussy-foot around, they're bold, strong vibrant patterns that sit so perfectly in the modern white washed homes of today.

It's funny how nostalgic we can be for eras we weren't even around for. 40's, 50's, 60's, 70's (I was a 70's baby but can't remember a thing)... now the 80's, a time I can actually recall, well, 80's fabric just doesn't do it for me at all...

I'm very happy with the first designs I've produced and playing around with colourways is fun. I'd like to get some of these new prints blown up a little larger that usual. But before that I have to frame and photograph the A4 ones I've produced so far. 


Waiting for good photograph taking light in this weather requires a lot of patience. 


Back soon. Hopefully.
    

Edie and the Rainbow

My Rainbow print modeled by Edie. If you look closely you can see that she is looking over my shoulder and at the TV. 

'Look at me Edie, look at me!' 

No chance. Charlie and Lola is on in a minute.

I shall be putting the Rainbow print up in my Etsy tomorrow. It really does look cheery, especially in all this rainy weather. A little rainbow all of our own.  


This post was added to Lakota's Ta-dah! Tuesday link up...

drop me a line, I'll give you my card...

 My new business cards are here!

wet bottoms and the big girl rides

We 'celebrated' our five year wedding anniversary at the uber romantic get away, 'Peppa Pig World'.

This was not planned, we're not that messed up. We just got our dates a little mixed up. 


It rained. We all got wet bottoms. They played the same four bars of music over and over again (seriously, the guys who work at PPW, how have you not all got twitches and the haunted looks of people who are being subjected to the worst kind of aural torture? How do you keep smiling?! That music would drive me CRAZY!)


And Edie had a ball. 


The second day (yes, we went back for more) we hit the big girl's rides; the Pirate Ship, the mini roller-coaster, the water slides... and boy did she love it. Adrenaline junkie at three? She digs those white-knuckle rides as much as her mummy. 


She's growing up so fast... She'll be starting nursery in September which excites me and breaks my heart in equal measures.  No more Peppa Pig then I fear. Big girl stuff all the way. 

watercolour blondes

My Blondes. All lined up and ready to go. My favorites are
Liv (top right), Sarah (middle) and Caitlyn (bottom left). I have such fun painting these little ladies. Each one comes ready with a name that is obvious to me as soon as she appears.