flower press

I am at my most peaceful when I am creating something with my hands.  Whether it be looping yarn over needles to cocoon my babies against the chills, washing watercolours over paper alongside my honey girl or humming along on my sewing machine. I relish peppering our home with my creations and gift giving has always felt more personal when I have enhanced it with a little something made by hand. 

Where I once turned to craft book for patterns and "how to's" to fuel my incessant need to create, now I'm finding inspiration within. Initially it was finances (or lack thereof) that led me away from intoxicating yarn and fabric stores to peruse the shelves of a shop much closer to home; that of my craft cupboard. Re purposing the snips of this and that from thrifting adventures and making seemingly useless items bend to my will has ignited a creativity in me that was once too shy to come out. Materials costing small change seem to bolster one's confidence too and I now view most discarded items with an artist's eye.

What started as a means to an end has slowly percolated into my very philosophy of being.  A thinking out of the box, a making it work, a changing of perception kind of ideology has evolved. Make do and mend has become re-evaluate and create. 

Do you like to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear? 

Steph x

I made some flower presses to give as gifts using pieces of discarded "snap together" timber flooring samples from Reverse Garbage. A simple dandelion was painted onto the rough side (the lacquered side was hidden within) using black acrylic paint and a fine brush. These were not much more than a dot, some lines radiating out from the centre and some little horseshoe shapes at the end of the lines. A few pieces of thick cardboard were retrieved from the recycling bin and cut to size and a hole was drilled in each corner of both pieces of timber. A long wing nut for each hole keeps it all together.  Most any piece of discarded timber would work beautifully.

Many thanks to beautiful Pia Jane Bijkerk for the last two images...they are exquisite.

  

indoor green

I have always foraged in places of growing things. Plucked wisps of nature and used them to imbue our home with earthy hues and memories of yesterdays.  A tawny feather, a reminder of a quiet walk together and hot tea from the thermos. And the drying blooms whose palette ever so slowly changes from vivid to muted brings recollections of tiny hands and large hearts. All about our home are memories bearing nature's many guises; leaves, grasses, seed pods, feathers and stones. And whilst the delicate tones of amber, ochre and sage soothe and inspire, these still lifes steeped in memory allow me at times to dwell in the past a little longer than is best.

Lately my eyes have been drawn to green.  Spherical clover leaves in the backyard as I watch the babies play and loop yarn over needles. Whisper light  ferns finding roots in dry and creviced places devoid of hospitality. Proud succulents swollen with moisture and life. They hold no tangible memories and their future growth pattern isn't set in stone. In all their vivid life they are neither talismans of the past nor dreams of the future and for this reason I have chosen to bring some indoors. Their growth is a creation of the present and reminds me to draw breath and be in the now. To rein in my mind from it's wanderings into the past and from its galloping off into the future. To focus my attention and my awareness in the moment - to be mindful.

Steph x

little things

Little things that make our world. Things I want to capture, tuck away and peek at another day....and smile.

Blackberries and cream.

Sun salutations with my girl.

Oh how I adore yarn bombing!

Sweet kisses on the nose.

Always cross legged.

Sandy waves bathed in sunlight.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Em.

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"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  She adores her old straw hat...and I adore her in it.

Remy -   That tiny finger and all those ripples...yes my boy, you can change the world.

Steph x

Stella and her violin mastery is so beautiful and oh, these eyes. 

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

changing palates

Casting my eyes over the plate I see a colourful landscape - the sauteed kale, the quinoa salad, the nuts and the seeds. Not so long ago my nose would have crinkled at the offerings before me and devoid of chemical "sprucing up" my palate would have revolted. Whilst our diet was never heavily reliant on processed items we had a handful of pre- prepared favourites that always made the top spot on the weekly menu.  There was the saccharine sweet devilled sausage sauce mix, the enchilada and fajita kits and that ever present sprinkle of chicken stock powder for taste bud punching flavour.  My Mum's spaghetti and meat balls* recipe which I followed to the letter was never complete without the ubiquitous tin of Rosella tomato soup.

But when we decided to overhaul our diet and chose a path of food as nourishment and even medicine we abandoned these "staples". The fallout was not pleasant as we detoxed.  Without the crutch of synthetic flavour enhancers to prop them up our meals tasted bland and unappealing and we longed for the zippedy-zing we had so enjoyed.  I cursed as meals of labour burdened with unfamiliar ingredients (and their equally unfamiliar cooking methods) were scraped into the bin. In order to keep the fire of change burning we consulted our favourite wholefoods literature time and time again. And we kept talking. It certainly was a time of much reflection and discussion.

Slowly and steadily our palates changed. Taste buds that had laid dormant, cloaked under a haze of chemical over stimulation, began to blossom. Nature's bounty began to not only nourish but excite and our meals evolved to spreads of wholesome ingredients chosen for their closeness to the earth. It was a journey fraught with potholes and "wrong way, go back!" signs and navigating the plethora of new ingredients was tedious at first. But time in all her gentle yet firm manner as always knew best and ever so gradually the cooking and preparing rhythms emerged, the recipe file grew fatter and our palates evolved. We still have many paths to get lost on but I am so pleased we have persevered this far.

Are you on a life changing mission? How do you keep on track?

Steph x

Other posts following our Wholefoods journey - 
olive oil dough
growing a kitchen


* this is our "go to" recipe for spaghetti and meatballs now.

pointer to thumb

Pointer to thumb. Pointer to thumb. Over and over, pointer to thumb. Small discs grasped, lifted and placed - repetition.  Sometimes with intention, sometimes with abandon. Following lines and keeping order. Embracing spontaneity and raining from a height.  Hushed voices and concentration tongues. Animated chatter and crinkly smiles. Pointer to thumb. Pointer to thumb.

Steph x

her chair

Bijou found her. My head was tangled in thoughts of dinner plans and mouldy blinds to clean as my hands pegged out the little man's nappies. Eager calls beckoned me from my deliberations to come and see her and there resting on the seat of a chair almost snuggled into its cushion she lay. A frog.

Only days earlier I bustled about opening the unlabeled boxes that cluttered this space. Roller blades, monopoly and the attachments from the vacuum cleaner were unearthed and baby clothes were sorted into sizes and squirelled away for perhaps another day. Slowly with the wiping clean of dust and grime I carved out a small space in the garage for creating. A little nook in this "too small" house just perfect for settling in.

A celadon green laminex table eagerly waiting to be strewn with fabric and scissors, paper and glue.  Tucked under it a sturdy chair topped with an eclectic and inviting cushion. A real haven for creating so I thought. Apparently so did she.

For the first few days equal parts of wonder and bother led me to check on the whereabouts of our Stony Creek frog companion. Nobody can deny the allure of the world's flora and fauna in all its diversity and we all, in some way, admire the beauty.  But when these organisms tread just that bit too close, or their day to day ways become just that bit too noisy, smelly or intrusive in our humanistic endeavours we are quick to turn a blind eye to the splendour and move them on. I am ashamed to admit that very thought crossed my mind in the beginning.

But now each morning I check to see if she has returned from her nocturnal foraging and smile when I spy her smooth skin nestled against that cushion. With her familiar comings and goings and quiet, simple existence she has given the ultimate lesson in slowing down.  Yes, she has taken my chair and for a time has rendered my creative space stagnent. But of all the streets, all the homes, all the chairs this wandering lady has chosen this one. Such a privilege to have her stay awhile. I will be sad when she goes.

Steph x

little things

Little things that make our world. Things I want to capture, tuck away and peek at another day....and smile.

I've been knitting up some wee gnomes to sell for Christmas.

Helping hands making meat balls.

Snips of paper...always snips of paper.

Milkshake with my boy.

Animal bread rolls with soup for dinner.

Cappuccino.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Em.

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"A portrait of my babies, once a week, every week."

Bijou -  Sleepy eyed yet so animated. 

Remy -  My little helper. Ear muffs in case the painting gets "noisy, noisy".

Steph x

Daniel and Emma quire simply took my breath away. And this portrait of my dear friend Sophie and her beautiful new Tallow is perfection. These images inspired me to go black and white this week too.

Joining in with the beautiful Jodi.

the dream kitchen

My journal is filled with snips of glossy paper. Divine images of vast, airy kitchens I one day aspire to.  There are always white subway tiles, there is always timber. Open shelving with ecru toned stoneware and wisps of nature to bring warmth to all the white.  For now however, I content myself with simple pottering about my humble space.  The clink of beans in glass jars, a drawer full of soft, time worn tea towels and a growing collection of mismatched lovelies.  Lemon scented spray keeps everything fresh and a bowl of ripening tomatoes feeds the senses with its crimson vignette.

The dream kitchen is enticing but I think perhaps it is the ideal attached that so tugs on my heart.  A ramshackle wooden home with gaping rooms and jewelled windows flung open to lure in nature's scent. Long hallways to gallop along and a kitchen full of warmth; full of heart.  A vintage board of generous proportions always floured in readiness for bread or pastry. Some babies underfoot and others heard off in the distance, their giggles like tinkling wind chimes.  Rattan baskets heaving with the season's best and gleaming jar lined up in anticipation of sticky condiments.  Madeleine Peyroux's velvet voice lulling me as I stir and dice.

A simple life where a gentle rhythm unfurls with the kitchen at it's core. A calm heart beat of nourishment where family gathers to break bread and share stories. I think it's slowly coming together ; my dream kitchen.

Steph x

Using some air dry clay I made some little labels for the growing collection of legumes, grains and seeds that comes with a blooming wholefoods kitchen. Beautiful wooden printing blocks from Kith and Co and vintage doilies were gently pressed into the edges of small circles. When dry, I stamped them with simple names using  kikki k alphabet stamps and hung them with twine around all my jars.

education

The lovely Julie of Iliska Dreams asked me to share some thoughts on education. Pop over to her colourful world to read them. Wishing you the loveliest of evenings.

Steph x

little things

Little things that make our world. Things I want to capture, tuck away and peek at another day....and smile.

Sandy toes.

Button "tinsel" she hung on the bathroom door.

Clothes laid out for a beautiful day.

The best of friends.

Pottering with florals and linens.

Glass lace.

Steph x

Joining in with the beautiful Em.