My husband

It’s been a month since my last post. Life has a strange way of throwing curve balls when you least expect it and I have been thrown one big one. When I feel ready to tell I will, but not right now.

I’m not sure how many people will read this, and if it really matters.. but what I’ve realised is that my blog is my little place to escape and I can post about anything I want to, as long as I feel sincere about it..

So today I want to talk about my husband.

During this tough time, I have realised more than ever that my husband is a very very supportive person, a very patient one and one who is very sincere. I’ve realised that the two of us work well as a team and there is alot of equality in this relationship.. we are very different in many ways, complete opposites actually, but the balance works well for us. He is a stay at home dad who is starting to get his small business off the ground (and it is!) and very recently was studying PLUS now he wants to get his 3rd dan in black belt.. he helps me with the housework, he cleans the cars, he is growing veges in our garden, he cooks, he takes my little girl to the library and recently to gymbaroo..

I just wanted to say thank you for being a wonderful partner and I love you.

Treasures..

How lucky am I.. I have a very special Uncle who owns a second hand shop in NZ.. and he finds all these wonderful treasures, some which I have been the very lucky the recipient of.. but the latest.. a beautiful pin cushion handmade by my grandmother.. no it wasn't in the shop but he kept alot of her belongings and sent this one to me.. how gorgeous is it.. I only wish I could've appreciated and learnt from her amazing skills - you name it, she knew it.. Now when I think about all the jumpers she made me, there was no pattern, they were all lace and I remember she had her basket of knitting needles next to her rocking chair..

And I also received a lovely Rupert the Bear book which as a child I used to love.. Thank you Uncle Eddie :)

New Year, New Look..

I thought if I am to try and improve my blogging presence, I should start with a new look.. what do you think? And if I manage to get myself a new look as well, perhaps I'll be brave enough to post a picture of myself :)

We're pulling together..

Hi everyone, like many other bloggers out there I cannot believe the enormity of these terrible floods.. the stories are heartbreaking. I won't share stories or pictures, they're readily available on the internet, on tv.. however I just wanted to let those who have been affected know that our thoughts are with you and fingers crossed that this will be over soon.. I'm not a quick crafter, still a beginner so I won't be able to churn out blankets or toys or anything else too quickly, but I have made a donation through my work so hopefully it will be put to good use..

Happy Birthday to me...

My birthday was a few days ago, I turned the beautiful and youthful age of 38.. so I bought myself a little gift which I have just been notified is on its way... aren't they cute?

Let's craft to enjoy..

When I set my goals for 2011, it was from the heart, completely personal and all about me. The one that I have already begun working on is ‘crafting to enjoy’ – and I am loving it. I made these two passport covers for my beautiful niece and nephew who are off on their first Disney holiday in the next few weeks.. my niece loves Mickey, my nephew is too young to know who he is.. I thoroughly enjoyed making them, planning out the process, deciding how to ‘decorate’ them with the fabric I have – I even managed to use denim from an old pair of jeans that I was about to throw out..

I’ve gone off track a bit but my point was, I have also noticed from reading other blogs that there’s a few of us out there who are making a point to craft just-for-fun this year. Whether we are making gifts for loved ones or just making something for no reason, the focus is not on selling because that becomes a different ball game - one that involves pressure, deadlines and just alot more work in general etc

Are we being too hard on ourselves? As a mum are we trying to be perfectionists and therefore lose perspective on why we are doing what we are doing? It’s not right when what you love doing becomes a chore.. and I think Jennifer says it all in this post.

So, I am really REALLY going to make a point of enjoying my craft this year so that I don’t create unnecessary stress.. I would rather focus my energy on my little girl and enjoy more special moments like this...

This year I will..

1. make all my gifts
2. turn a stressful situation into a positive one and therefore lighten the load on my shoulders
3. buy very little veges and eat from our garden instead
4. increase my blogging presence (how? I don't know, but it's a manageable little project)
5. make a major change regarding our home, whether we move, develop or renovate
6. not stress over the limited amount of time (if any) I have for Little Madam
7. craft to enjoy, not to make money - and just keep my fingers crossed that that will follow eventually :)