Hello everyone!

Oh my goodness, its been so long since I last updated. This is a result of a combination of things - firstly, I lost my home net connection for awhile there (just a glitch between my account and my ISP - all resolved now). The second reason is that I have been consciously trying to live up to my word of the year - to celebrate.

And I've realised that celebrating one's day to day life doesn't leave much room to write about it. For me celebrating inevitably means people. I am not one to celebrate alone (though I do admire those who can do it). So my days and nights have been filled with spending time with family, as well as old and new friends. Its been a wonderful few weeks for me, reconnecting with people and indulging in past pleasures.

But I digress from the purpose of this post.

I have received a couple of emails asking me if I am a sole parent (yes I am) and how do I manage live on one income while still living and consuming ethically.


Now, I have to say that my first reaction was to say that I never saw being a sole parent or being on a single income had anything to do with how I consume. My initial thoughts were that average people always have a choice in regards to how they spend their income - whatever the amount of that income is and whether the income is coming from one or many sources. I maintain that we truly do not need as much stuff as we currently have, nor do we need to keep spending money to maintain stuff that we do not need. In my experience, decluttering and downsizing were HUGE steps towards becoming more empowered with how I spend.

I simply don't buy a lot of stuff - nor do I have a lot of stuff to maintain.

Which means that when I do buy stuff, I am more able to buy according to my values (aka "joyful consumption").

I know that I might be coming across as a bit flippant about this. Believe me that is not my intention. I know its been a hard journey for me to get to where I am now and I acknowledge that I still have a way to go. Consumerism in our society is inextricably linked to our sense of identity and (dare I say it) self-worth. Taking steps away from all that is hard...BUT I hope people know that it can be done.

...Now all that I've written so far, as I've said, was my first reaction. And I do believe that it has a great deal of truth in it for me... but on reflection, I also realise that I would be wrong in saying that there is no link between being a sole parent and ethical consumption.

In reflecting my consumption choices over the last 4 years, I realise that being a sole parent (for almost 2 years) has allowed me to make financial and consumption decisions without having to consult another person. I am in (what I regard) a very great position to truly consume according to my values.

That's not to say that it can not be empowering to make decisions as a couple. I know that when I was married, there were times when I felt empowered after we had negotiated win-win situations. ...But it is harder and I'm afraid I don't have any good advice on this one (indeed, I am probably the last person who can give that advice anyway).

I can say this though, living simply has enabled me to make choices and adjust to a smaller income more easily. When I think of the way I used to be as a consumer, I truly think that I would not have been able to make the adjustment to a sole income as smoothly as I did.

So I guess in some ways, you can say that living simply has not only allowed me to live ethically, but its also empowered me to deal with life's challenges. In short, my simple life allows me to dance even when its raining.

I wish you are all well.

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Oh and on a totally unrelated topic, I am pleased to announce that the National Library of Australia recently contacted me to ask for my permission for this blog to be part of its Pandora Archive.

I have to admit, I am quite flattered that they think my blog is worthy of Pandora and I look forward to the day when I can show my (hopefully) grandchildren this blog in our National Library.

A big thank you to all my readers who have commented and emailed me. Your thoughts and questions continue to be a source of great learning and encouragement for me and my journey. I hope that, in turn, you were also able to get something out of my blog.

*****************************

Hi everyone,

As promised, I am slowly going to go through everyone's suggestions and questions and blogging here about it.

Sharni wrote:

"What about something about protecting our kids from explicit material etc.. that is blatantly in their faces in newsagencies etc... I signed a petition I found on your blog once and I thought it was worthwhile and a really important issue... the amount of sexual messages in society is enormous and it worries me now I'm a Mama."

This request gave me some food for thought because my approach to handling this issue is pretty much based on my belief that everyone innately knows what's good for them - that is, we all have the capacity to self-regulate. And the better we are at this, then the better we are at blocking messages that are deeply harmful to us.

Okay, I know that sounds a bit kooky but let me explain.

I believe that we are all born knowing how to listen to our bodies and emotions. As babies, we knew when we needed something and we demanded it. I do not believe that babies ever demand something they do not need - and by that I mean need physically or emotionally.

My biggest challenge as a parent has been (and still is) to decipher my children's (sometimes incomprehensible) messages and respond in a way that does not diminish that expression of need.

When my children were babies, I tried my utmost to trust and respect my children's inate capacity to demand for things that are good for them. Eg. Trust them when they signal to me that they are hungry and allow them to feed as their little bodies required. (Despite me nervously thinking at times that they're eating too much/too little/too often/too far apart). I trusted my babies when they went through difficult times of sleep (or non-sleep) and trusted their signals on how to help them through it - in most cases, I chose to respond by simply being there to hold them (in different ways) as they tried to sort out their body changes and their sleep.

As they got older and grew into toddlerhood, another layer of complexity was added - how to respond in a way that sets boundaries but still respects their initial emotion. I guess in a way, my approach can be summed up as: "The emotion is always okay but there are appropriate ways on how to handle it." Eg. I tried to show my children that they always have the right to be angry and they also have the right to express that emotion...but they should express it through words or drawings or letters.


So where am I going with this? I believe that it is important to not lose or diminish the capacity to listen to our bodies and emotions. I believe that we can steadily lose that capacity when we are constantly told to ignore our needs so that we can behave in a way that is "easier". And when we lose that capacity, we also have a diminished capacity to self-regulate and block harmful messages or habits.

Looking back on this blog, I can see that I've documented a couple of my children's experiences with self-regulation:
- When my daughter refused to take on a boyfriend (yes, she was 6 years old when she first experienced being pressured to have a boyfriend at school.)
- When my daughter chose to delay instant gratification for a bigger goal.

But I also have other examples:

Today, my children were given 2 large packets of chocolates and lollies each by different people. I was helping out my neighbours in the garden and they commented that my children (who were in inside the house) had probably scoffed down all the chocolates and were now on a sugar high. I went inside to check on them, and found that they only had 3 chocolates each...because as my son (5 years old) said that eating more was going to make him feel "funny and "sick" (hmmm...pity I don't have the same discipline and I usually end up being "funny and sick").

My children will regularly excuse themselves out of the room when they are at other people's houses if they see something on TV or computer that they don't like or if they know the content is rated above "PG (Parental Guidance)". Something almost all their carers at those times have commented on.

Now I have to say that while I am going on about self-regulation, I do limit their exposure as much as possible to the material in the first place. We do not watch commercial TV at home. My children are not allowed on the internet except when I am surfing the web with them. (I posted about the other things I do in this post.)

I try not to freak out about the things they are exposed to outside of our home - what's at the shops, at friends' houses, at after-school care etc. The way I see it, their exposure to those things give us plenty of chances to discuss and deconstruct the messages. I am not a believer in total censorship, nor do I want to discount my children's inate need to understand and belong to their community.

I only hope that I am able to continue walking that (sometimes very fine) line between teaching my children how to listen to themselves and how to behave in a socially appropriate manner.

Anyway, this post has rambled on enough so I'll stop here.

I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend!

Hi everyone!

I FOUND MY CAMERA!! And I found my Ben Folds' Songs For Silverman CD as well. So things are obviously looking up. Funny how it was lost till I blogged about it and within 24 hours found both items. (Thank you blog fairies).

And a big thank to everyone who emailed and commented on my last post giving me ideas on what to write about!! I now have a list and will steadily go through them. The weather's cooler so I'll probably be in a better mood to write regularly.

Anyway,in my last post, I told you that I had made a matching tote to go with my overnight bag. Here it is!



I used a pattern for this one (first time to do a bag pattern!) - the Amy Butler Sweet Harmony. It was a little hard to follow so I'm glad I didn't attempt this as one of my beginner projects. Also I couldn't find any fusible fleece anywhere so I did it the old fashioned way using just normal fleece. I also didn't use interfacing...though now that I think about it, I should have at least put some on the bottom of the bag.

Oh as you know the fabric was an op shopped curtain and the lining was fabric given to me by the lovely and talented Bec who was decluttering her fabric stash. THANK YOU Bec!

Still all in all, I'm quite happy with it. I have to admit, I felt a bit spesh carrying my luggage around in Sydney last weekend.



I wish you all a good weekend ahead!

- I can't find my camera
- Its been too hot
- I've been busy

...all lame excuses...its actually 'cause I have once again lost my bojo*

I have made a matching tote bag to go with my overnight bag...but as I said I can't find my camera to show it off.

I have received a couple of emails from new and old readers though asking some questions about me. If you are a new reader, then welcome! And I'm so sorry I've been slack on the blogging front. If you would like to know a bit more about me I have posted an intro here. Please feel free to introduce yourself too! I have a notification thingy that tells me there are new comments on that post so I *will* read it (and reply).

Oh and for those who had questions about why I blog etc, then you might find Sharni's interview of me might answer your questions.

Now, I need your help. Please help me find my bojo! Do you have a topic you'd like to see me cover here? Give me a writing assignment please!

Anyway, I'm off to try and find my camera....and my Ben Folds, "Songs for Silverman" CD. *sigh* Its been one of those weeks.

Its Australia Day tomorrow! And I am proud to say that I do celebrate it.

I hope you are all well.

*Bojo = blogging mojo

Hello everyone!

So in the spirit of my celebration of 2010, I had decided to instigate a one day a month celebration of obscure days and holidays at my work. Yes, my workmates were at first a bit puzzled but very quickly warmed to the idea...especially as it involved a morning tea. :)

So yesterday was Wikipedia Day - yes folks, Wikipedia went public yesterday 9 years ago. So a workmate brought a cake and a few of us then decorated it with lollies (known as Collaborative Cake Decoration Project...should I put a TM there somewhere?). Unfortunately, I didn't take pics...maybe I will next time.

Anyway, long story short - the end result of the day was that I overloaded on sugar and caffeine. So after a couple of hours of tossing and turning last night not being able to get to sleep, I decided to do some sewing (yes at 2am).

This skirt has been in my sewing pile for quite some time:



It was way way too big for me and I had planned to take it in. But 2am in the morning was just way too late to do something as boring as that....so instead I turned it into this:



Now in the light of day (oh man I'm tired), I can see I'll need to tidy it up a bit.

Still I'm happy with the overall look considering I didn't really have a pattern or tutorial to base the reconstruction from (and the fact that it was 4:00am by the time I finished).

Anyway, I'm off to perpetuate the cycle and have some more coffee...the kids are wanting to play with me.

I wish you all a good weekend.

Hello everyone,

Forgive me for being so slack on the blog front. I'm no good with heat. Many of you in Oz will know that everywhere in the south to south east of mainland Australia will have been experiencing the high temps (40 degrees celsius or higher) and hot winds. Its all I can do to not lose my temper at the smallest things, let alone blog!

The heat has meant that I've been staying indoors and not doing much. Something, I have to admit, I don't really enjoy. I am generally physically active and love doing things but the heat is sapping all of my energy!

Having said that, my prolonged periods of physical inactivity is leading me to reflect quite a bit which has been good for me. For some reason an older post of mine, Falling with Style, has been coming back to me a lot. In that post, I talked about how my journey to a simpler life has, in many ways felt like falling. But now I've realised that that post is actually incomplete.

My "fall" could never have happened without my safety nets. While its true that taking little steps have assisted my fall from consumerism, that's only half the picture. The truth is that not participating in consumerism is SCARY. Its not until I stopped buying did I realise how much of my identity and my relationships depended on consuming - and consuming a LOT. Leaving all that was scarier and a bigger change than I have ever anticipated.

So I don't think I could've ever gone through the change (and still doing so now) without my safety nets - ie all the people who are there to catch me when I fall. They are not necessarily people who are journeying with me. They are the people in my life who accept me without judgement or conditions. They are the people I can turn to when I am unsure of what to do. They are the people who help me even when I do not ask.

In short, they are the people who give me the courage to strive for what I believe in and the humour to cushion my disappointment when I fail. They are my family, my neighbours and my friends.



Now I have to say, equating my support network with a safety net, is particularly apt for me. Because I have also realised that like safety nets, support networks need to be cared for and maintained. Especially in today's busy world, it seems it is too easy to lose touch or disconnect with people.

I have to admit, I feel that I have been particularly lax about maintaining my safety nets. So here's me pledging to take better care of my safety nets and value them.

Who are your safety nets? What do you do to maintain them?

Hello everyone!

I hope your week is going well. I returned to work this week and I have to admit, I'm struggling to get out of "holiday" mode. I'm fine right up until 3pm....then I need my nana nap :P.

On another note, I have been reading Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love". I'm enjoying the book, though I am finding reading her thoughts on finding God hard to read with an open mind. One thing struck me was her thoughts on antevasin - "living at the border". In her book, Elizabeth defines antevasin:

It means "one who lives at the border." In ancient times, this was a literal description. It indicated a person who had left the bustling center of worldly life to go live at the end of the forest where spiiritual masters dwelled. The antevasin was not one of the villagers anymore - not a householder with conventional life. But neither was he yet a transcedent - not on of the sages who live deep in the unexplored woods, fully realised.

And as soon as I read it, I couldn't help thinking that's ME! If I could equate truly living simply as a "transcendent" life, that is. As many of you know, I am at the stage in my life now where it is actually hard for me to consume...but it does not mean I don't consume. I still buy 99% of my food, I still do the odd bit of plane travel and at times I still buy brand new (though I am proud to say that I can actually count on one hand how many brand new items I have bought in the last 18 months).

Indeed, I feel as if I live and participate in that halfway place... the border between consumerist and non-consumerist worlds.

There are times when living at the border is comfortable. But at times its also...well, kinda lonely - especially when I don't feel I fit perfectly in the worlds I move in and out in.

It seems fortuitous then that after reading that chapter in Elizabeth's book that Theresa chose to leave her comment in my Word for 2010 post. Theresa left me this quote:

"Reality is a Perfectionists Nightmare"

And I realised that this is where all my feelings of isolation are stemming from. I feel isolated because I am not a "perfect fit".

...then I realised, but who is? If I stop to think about it, I realise that in both of the worlds I occupy, I hear the same echoes: "I wish I am 'better'".

Don't get me wrong, I think that striving to do better is a pretty good thing. But it can stop me from enjoying what I am right now.

So here's a toast to me - celebrating living at the border - and for being able to do it within my own values.

...Now I can admit to you that I made that toast to myself with a vodka cruiser while sitting in my craft room having just finished the first step in my next crafting with second hand materials project.....:P

I hope you've had a good week.

Hi everyone!

Firstly a big thank you to everyone who shared with me their word for the year. It was wonderful for me to read them and I thought it was a great way to start 2010 here in this blog.

Secondly, I'm still having a little trouble with my coding for this template (though dates and widgets are now fixed!). Whenever I link to things the words are not highlighted or underlined in any way that shows its a link until you hover your mouse over it. So trying to figure out why that is. If anyone out there can help me, please don't hesitate to contact me! :)

Now back to the purpose of this post. Some time ago, I picked up an old musty bowling bag from a school fete. I started to recover it and turn it into an overnight bag but then ran out of glue....then I got slack. But I found myself having a free hour today, and so I thought I'd finish it. And here it is!




As usual, all materials used (except for glue) were sourced second hand.

The bowling bag is the perfect size for taking as overhead luggage in a plane. I may end up having to do some short trips this year for work so it'll be nice to carry this around to show it off.

So anyone else finished their first 2010 craft project? If you have please let me know! I would love to have a look.

Hello everyone,

Happy New Year! Like my new look? I have to re-insert all my widgets back (I keep getting error messages when I insert it in by code so I may have to do it the long way). Don't worry you'll see all of my links soon. :P

Anyway, I hope you have all had a great start to the year. I had a relaxed and fairly quiet night. Quiet is good because it helped me reflect on what I would like to do this year.

In a discussion forum I go to, there was a thread there about New Year's resolutions. Now I don't do resolutions. I'm one of those people who think why wait for New Year before doing things I'd like to do? I'm way too impatient for resolutions. :P

Having said that, one of the ladies in the thread mentioned about not having a resolution but having a "word" for the year. This appeals to me much more. Having a word for the year will help me focus on what I would like to get out of all the things I will inevitably do this year.

And my word for 2010 is "Celebrate".


The last few years, I think I have focussed on "learn" and "survive". And while I can see how focussing on these things have shaped me and made me happy, I am now feeling the need to kick back and just celebrate.

So this year, I will consciously celebrate the quiet, the loud, the fun and the serious. This year, I will consciously celebrate the me I have become and the me I will, no doubt, change to. Most of all, I will consciously celebrate this journey towards a simpler life.

Do you have a word for the year?

Hello everyone,

Forgive me for indulging in a bit of sentimentality. I have been pondering about 2009 and what I have learned this year. I have often found that my greatest moments of learning often come when I ponder on the sadder parts of my life.

Regular readers of this blog would know that towards the end of 2008, I separated from my husband. 2009 was the year of recovery for me. In many ways, that recovery is not yet over, but if there is one thing that I've learned, it is that I am quite resilient and that despite experiencing lows I have never experienced before, I am relieved to find that, I can still see life as a wonderful adventure.

And having discovered that, I am slowly coming to the realisation that I do not have to be scared of what the future holds for me.

For those who have found 2009 a year of discovery and recovery, I wish to share with you this song. Its one of very few songs that have touched me deeply and I hope you enjoy it too.



I hope you've had a fulfilling 2009 and I wish you well for 2010.

Hello everyone!

As I am writing this post, its gently raining outside. Here at the ONC*, we've all experienced a wonderful Christmas present - rain! Gentle summer rain that is sorely needed. Everyone's gardens and lawns have been so parched and dry.

The rains have been a double edged present though. While we at the ONC have been enjoying the gentle rain, many people further north to us are in the thick of the massive storm and they are experiencing floods. To all my friends and readers up Bathurst, Orange, Parkes, Dubbo way - I hope you are well and the floods have not created too much damage to your homes and gardens.

Aside from rain, I have had a wonderful Christmas day with my children, family and friends. In what's becoming a tradition in my family, we spent the day playing with my children, eating seafood, playing with my children, watching my dad nap on the sofa and playing with my children. There's something rhythmic about a Christmas spent with people you have known all your life or in turn all of their lives.

I have noticed that.

This morning (boxing day), some friends and I spent the morning having breakfast and shopping (well, they shopped - as usual, I made a poor attempt at it). And once again, I noticed the familiar rhythmns of our talk. These are friends I've had since childhood. We have grown up together and have known each other for more than half our lives.

And the rhythmns are gentle - comforting.

I realised, that in my last bah-humbug Christmas post, I was wrong. We do have a mutually recognised way of showing our connection with others. But unlike the ads, the movies or the tv, this mutual recognition is not blatant and cliche. Its there in the way we talk to each other and the way we move from one activity to the next. Underneath all the talk and activities, there is that subtle and mutual recognition that these rhythmns are how we celebrate our complex connections with each other.

As I now embark on new adventures and the new year, its comforting to know that these rhythmns will be there - quietly celebrating.



ONC= "Our Nation's Capital"

Hello everyone!

This morning, my son and I went to the Mt Stromlo Forest Park. For those not in the ONC*, the park is dedicated bicycle and equestrian park set on some 20 acres of land. The trails are wonderful - from really easy (bitumen or hard packed dirt) to very difficult.

My son and I were riding on one of the easier trails when suddenly the sprinklers came on. Sprinklers in the ONC is a rarity. To use sprinklers requires special permission.We are now nearing our 5th year of water restrictions. My son is 5 years old. He's never truly seen sprinklers before. My son and I (along with other riders on the trail) stopped to marvel at the sprinklers when an old childhood memory hit me.

I turned to my son, "Hey do you want to do something I used to do when I was a child?"

Him: "Yep!"

And to his shock I got off my bike, took off my bike helmet and started running through the sprinklers. The other young riders (aged between 8 to 10 years) on their bikes soon followed suit. My son laughed his head off but at first wouldn't go in. Finally he was coaxed in by one of the other younger boys.

We spent the next few mins shrieking with laughter, streaking in and out of the sprinklers.

After 15 mins, the sprinklers were turned off. And all of us stood there thoroughly soaked, shivering slightly in the breeze with huge grins on our faces.

Eventually our fellow sprinkler mates got back on their bikes and rode off to tell their parents of their adventure. My son and I slowly pedalled back to the car and let the warm sun dry our clothes.

I felt truly blessed that I was able to give my son this one experience from my childhood.

(Note: I tried to find an Australian photo of people running or playing through sprinklers**...but I couldn't - with thousands of creative commons licenced photos at my finger tips, there was not a single photo of Aussie kids playing through sprinklers.....I guess its that much of a rarity these days. If there's ever a next time, I'll be sure to take a photo. :) )

*ONC - Our Nation's Capital
** All photos used on this blog have a creative commons general attribution licence - ie they can be used freely provided I attribute the photographer.

Hello everyone!

Firstly a big big thank you to everyone who commented in my last post about Christams gift giving. Thank you for your empathy, your advice and sharing your viewpoints. Your comments (and this blog) have been a big part of my journey to simplifying my life and I am truly grateful for it.

On another note, my 2009 wrap-up post has gotten me thinking and I suddenly realised....I am doing what I love!

I have always had this idealised image of people who are living the life they wanted. For some reason, I imagined that these people are perpetually and ecstatically happy.

But of course that's totally unrealistic. Not only is ecstatic happiness tiring, but also...well, surely it would get boring!

That aside, I am starting to realise that my life this year has been an amazing balance of challenges, self-discovery and triumphs. I am continuing to simplify my life. I no longer bear any resemblance to the shopaholic me of only 3 years ago. I have found my creativeness - something that had been buried by years of consumption habits that told me that I did not have it in me to make anything and needed to buy.

Anyway, before I get too soppy, I thought I'd better answer Ryan's question about what I meant about fabric strips on top of my curtains. (Sorry Ryan for taking so long.)

Just to refresh your memory, in my post about my free sustainability house inspection, I learned that insulation works by trapping air. The more "air tight" this trap is, the better the insulation is.

Anyway, during my post about my subsidised ceiling insulation, Ryan asked me what I meant about placing a fabric strip on top of my curtains.

The fabric strip is simply that, a fabric strip placed on top of my curtains to make my curtains work better as an insulator. I hope my drawing below explains it a bit better.



I placed heavy fabric (curtain offcuts) in between the curtain rod and the window. I sewed velcro on both of the long sides of the fabric and glued velcro on the top sides of the curtain rod and the window sill. The curtain hides this fabric strip so you don't actually see it.

By placing fabric in between the rod and the window, I effectively slow down the rate which air escapes at the top of my curtains, making my curtains more effective in keeping the house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

Anyway, that's it for me today. Two more Christmas parties to go and that's it for me for the festive season!

I hope you are all having a good week.

Hi everyone!

Okay, I apologised before about how I can be such a bahhumbugger every Christmas and wrote my Wrap Up for 2009 instead.

...but I'm afraid I just can not resist from going all bahumbuggie again. So here's fair warning to all Christmas lovers out there. Stop reading now.

...
....
.....

Anyway, so let's get back to the purpose of this post. This weekend, I made a concerted effort to crawl out of my Christmas Denial rock. The children and I had a lot of fun putting up the Christmas tree and decorating the house.

Unfortunately, un-denying Christmas inevitably means that now I have to think about Shopping For Christmas Presents (SFCP). Now SFCP is the main reason why I was in my Christmas Denial rock in the place. I took a moment today to ponder on this a bit more. Sure, I can blame the crowds or the noise but the reality is that I cope very well with crowds and noise. I certainly don't let such things bother me on other occassions. So blaming crowds is really just camouflage.

I am beginning to suspect that I have SFCP phobia for a number of reasons . SFCP makes me feel:

- like I have to give because they *might* give to you
- anxious 'cause I have to guess how much money I have to spend for a gift from someone who *might* give me a gift
- anxious that I've "forgotten" someone.
- anxious 'cause I've made some presents and while it cost me a lot of my time, they might not be the sort of people who appreciates that and want the dollar value rather than the time value instead.

Because I live in a world where many relationships are formed on the basis of "stuff", its Christmas that highlight how we do not have mutually recognised way of showing our connection with others EXCEPT through the exchange of presents.

We give to them because they give to us. And inside there is a lingering resentment because the reality is that for many of us, we actually don't feel that the gift giving is actually celebrating our connection with others. In an abundant society, where so many of us have Too Much Stuff, we know that we don't really want or need any more stuff but we feel enormous pressure to go through the motions anyway.

So now I'm wondering....how can I show my appreciation of others at Christmas? And will they understand my expression of appreciation if it came in a form that is NOT a gift?

More things to ponder, I guess.

Anyway, I hope you have all had a good weekend and wishing you all a good week to come.

Hi everyone!

I've *just* finished my latest crafting project - a present to a co-worker for my Branch's Christmas party tomorrow. (Yep, I left it to the last minute). Anyway, as no one from my work reads my blog, I figure I'm totally safe showing it off here.

The rules for this year's Secret Santa was $15. The recipient of my present is a co-worker who draws most (if not all) her notes as really cool diagrams. She takes a sketch pad and a pencil into meetings. As a visual person, I really love watching her draw her mind map for the next task or project.

Anyway, I bought her another sketch pad and pencils (brand new of course). I then made a sketch pad cover. The applique in front is yet another "made from scratch" applique....its supposed to be a cat (as she is a cat lover)....do you think it looks like a cat? Anyway, she can reuse the cover over and over again as any A4 sketch pad just slips into it. Then I made a matching pencil roll to hold the pencils.





Oh the pencil roll looks like its wonky...it really isn't. :D (Note to self: must cut off those loose threads as per last pic).

Upon wrapping this present, I realised I had forgotten to get a little card. So I made one using wool, glue and some nice paper left over from my daughter's felt face cards project.



(oh dear, just putting that link in to my daughter's project reminded me of my November well-being goal...um...short update to that... I didn't ask for help *sigh*. I really need to learn how to do that.)

Anyway, that's it! I'll be Christmas partying for the next 3 days (different Christmas parties - my work doesn't allow us to have 3 day parties. :P) so I don't think I'll get to post again until next week.

In the meantime, I hope you are all well!