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I am up late, with a glass of wine. but that's ok, tomorow I will laze in bed until I feel like getting up. and I can always change my mind and go back to bed. i will soak that up, because I'm sure I can't spend every saturday like that stretching into my life.

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Tonight we had some friends over for dinner, 8 girls in all, eating and drinking and talking and laughing. Happy days.

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Every day this week, as I pass the front gate, i've stopped and chomped on sweet little cherry tomatoes that warm in the sun and burst on your tongue like little goodnessess.

I am sleepy. And feeling kind of melancholy. The weekend lies ahead, I think we have an understanding. Many thoughts bubbling in my mind, yet blank. Many things to do, but don't feel like anything. Many loves in my life, yet none. Yep, did I say I was feeling melancholy? Time for bed and snuggles with John Steinbeck me thinks.

How to cheer yourself up


Wait until your drifting around the house aimlessly, sighing every now and then.

Get a pen and paper, and a cup of tea, and write in no particular your top 10 favourites. Favourite tastes, favourite smells, favourite sounds, favourite sights, favourite touches. This may be hard. Particulary if some of what you write is no longer available to you. In fact this may get a lot harder before it gets better. Sorry.

When you’re done, have another cup of tea and a bit of a weep.
Takea deep breath and pick one thing from each list you can do or experience right away.

Do them.


I went to the park under big trees, watched some clouds while listening to music on my ipod and feeling the grass between my toes. Then I ate mangoes in the sun, called my sister and heard her laugh and went home to hug a friend and sew a monster.



If it works out, you'll have a bittersweet feeling that although you've lost some things, there's still things in the world that make you smile. Smile.

embroidered owl

my owl is coming along, I grab minutes here and there to add a few more stitches. He still needs a little more detail though, and some words 'if i were wiser'...





Check out the bloody excellent patterns and kits at sublime stitching. If you haven't seen their stuff already, take a look- this ain't your gramma's embroidery! I've ordered a few patterns- coming from the US and I'm wondering how long it might take? Plans for some teatowels, a bag or two, maybe the back of a dress or a singlet. The possibilities. I may even get a head start on christmas presents this year and stitch a bunch... Yuh, 'cause we're talking about possibilites..



Saw this pic submitted by a stitcher- LOVE it. I like the simplicity and black lines.. I'm going to keep my eye out for pictures and photos I can sketch over and stitch from. I'll need a bigger embroidery hoop, but that's all (I like that my new favourite thing doesn't need much. I have calico and a heap of thread- I'm good). I have gorgeous neices and a nephew, perhaps I will have a go at one just like this..

Oh they grow up so fast! Time to plant out these babies.. My new system seems to be working- as fast as our house can eat eggs, that's how often I have empty egg cartons to plant seeds into. Otherwise I tend to plant heaps and then nothing..

New Years Resoluton #12: That point when you're out at the pub with mates and you go 'yep, good night, should probably go home now'- actually go home.

bird cage stitchin'

well here it is, I had another go at freehand stitching and had a play with colours too. My birdcage is a bit wonky (but so's life, so - meh). It would be cute to do tiny sketches for buttons and badges..

sketch stitchin'

last night I tried out some sketching with stitches, this is how it turned out. I quite like it, though his neck is a little too long! I love the feel of the stitches on the taut fabric when I run my fingertips across the top. I'll have another go today, I'm excited about the possibilities - different stitches, coloured threads, backgrounds, the thicknessess of threads. I'll let you know how it goes!

On an excursion to the garden shed, I came across this little birdy I stitched last year. He's been hanging out outside and has a weathered look that suits him.

Also found my baby frangipani has it's first flower- it was rescued from the bin at the Horticultural College, and has lived (barely) in various pots on balconies, until now when he has his very own spot in the sun- so he' finally flowered. (Not sure why my frangipani is a he, but it fits!)

straight on my birthday wishlist is a better camera, never noticed until I use these shots and go hrrrmmm....