This one never gets old.
Have a great weekend.
This one never gets old.
Have a great weekend.
It’s amazing what you can do with a bag of scraps!
I’d ordered a couple of bags of scraps from the Denyse Schmidt’s website a few months back and the other week when the sewing itch needed to be scratched I cracked open one of them and just started sewing pieces together. Like a puzzle. No plan. I didn’t measure anything, I didn’t use a ruler until the end when I tried to square it up a little.
As the piece grew I realised that our ‘white’ kitchen table could use for another mat and a project was born. We use mats in the middle of the table at ever meal, they protect the surface from heat and stain… and they turn around is high each week.
This is the reverse. I’ve had it for ages… bought in Savannah, GA on a holiday with Mr… yonks ago… can’t remember who’s the designer as the only piece left didn’t have the selvedge, but it’s always bene my favourite.
The quilting is random straight lines at random intervals. No fuss.
It’s not very big, but it’s useful size. My pilea likes it. She told me so. Yes all my plants are girls.
And it’s a little bit wonky.
But we like wonky.
It does the job and it’s colourful and all the different fabric make me happy.
So there.
This morning I’m writing to you sitting, not at my usual kitchen table, but crosslegged on a gorgeous milky blue/green sofa which perfectly matches the stormy sea in front of me on the other side of the window.
I’m spending 24 hours with a friend in Salcombe a beautiful seaside town in the South West of England, built near the mouth of the Kingsbridge Estuary in an idyllic location. At least I’m sure it’s idyllic… this morning is ridiculously windy and stormy and it’s charm is of a different kind. To be honest… I really love a stormy sea in winter, especially if I’m sitting on a sea colour sofa with coffee next to me. My friend’s flat is beautiful too with amazing views from every window.
Yesterday when we arrived after about a three hour drive the rain had stopped so we were able to go for a gorgeous walk along the coastal road and through the village. I’m sure it’s full of people in the summer but in January is peaceful and quiet. Just perfect for a relaxing get away.
There is something so calming about the sea, isn’t it? It doesn’t have to be sunny or mirror calm… it simply impossible not to empty your mind when you stare at it.
“The cure for everything is salt water: sweat, tears or the sea” (Isak Dinesen)
It’s been a super quick trip but so different from my day to day life that I feel completely restored; I actually feel like I’ve been away for days and days. Amazing.
I have a new cookery book and I love it.
First a couple of premises: my children are fussy eaters and their taste don’t match either which makes cooking for them either very boring or very time-consuming. I don’t like doing the same things over and over again and I certainly don’t want to be making different things all the time.
Second premise: let’s just say I over indulged in the last few months and unless I lose a few pounds I won’t be able to squeeze into my ski pants next month.
Anyway, I’ve been careful in what I eat (goodbye Nutella… so long…) and I’ve been trying new recipes that help me along the way. I’ve also joined a fitness class… or unfitness class in my case…
Anyway, this book by Joe Wicks ‘the body coach’ was an impulse buy but what a lovely surprised turned out to be. Oh and this is not a sponsored post either…. remember the free days of blogging when you didn’t have to say things like that? Sigh…
I’ve already made three recipes: Toad in the hole which of course went down well, a delicious chilli (I used 1/2 the pepper and was still super hot but so so nice… definitively one to repeat) and yesterday I pushed the boat super far out with:
I know… aubergines… that it’s a legit reason for mutiny around here…
Love using this baby. Very satisfying.
As you can see I sacrificed a layer of the aubergines for a layer of sweet potatoes. Potentially meal destroying but more likely to be eaten and I tried hiding the aubergines on the bottom.
Doesn’t it look just delicious?
… and then the camera battery died…
Yup.
Disappointing I know…. and it was going so well….
The dish however was delicious. Mr M loved it, I loved it, and aside from a loud rambling from the lower ranks when the afore mentioned ‘aubergin were spotted… but it got eaten by all.
Phew.
The sweet potatoes were really a good swap if you need to add some carbs to your meal, they go well with the other flavours. The only thing that I would change was that my tomato sauce was very runny, so next time I’d need to do something different there.
Success though.
Let’s get this week started…
Morning (by Billy Collins)
Mary Oliver ‘Upstream, selected essays‘.
What can I say about this book.
Exquisite.
That’s all it needs.
Just exquisite.
As poetic as her poems.
It gives you so much to think about too… I had to read it with a pencil by me to underline all the amazing resonating phrases. This is not a book to read and put on the shelf, but to read and re read, to dip in and out over and over again.
The way she writes about nature it’s so inspiring and really makes you want to go out and ‘be’ in a forest or a field or by the sea…
… For whatever reason, the hears cannot separate the world’s appearance and actions from morality and valor, and the power of every idea is intensified, if not actually created, by its expression in substance. Over and over int eh butterfly we see the idea of transcendence. In the forest we see not the inert but the aspiring. In water that departs forever and forever returns, we experience eternity…”
And this other quote too really caught my eyes in the current world ‘climate’:
(Also… Mary Oliver looks like my grandmother, who died when I was only 16. I’ll try finding a photos but she hated having her pictures taken…)
So 2 books down, 46 to go. I’ve updated the list with some of your suggestions. If the titles are in Italic it means I haven’t got the book yet… also… they could all change!
2018
2017 – Magari domain resto (Lorenzo Maroni)
2016 – Upstream (Mary Oliver)
2015 – La tentazione di essere felici
2014 – Storia della bambina perduta (Elena Ferrante)
2013 – Careless people (Sarah Churchwell)
2012 – Wonder
2011 – The Paris Wife (Paula McLain)
2010 – Salar the Salmon (Henry Williamson)
2009 – Let the gread world spin (Colum McCann)
2008 – The White Tiger (Aravind Adiga)
2007 – Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (Barbara Kingsolver)
2006
2005 – Never let me go (Kazuo Ishiguro)
2004 – The Sunday Philosophy Club (Alexander McCall Smith)
2003
2002 – Everything is illuminated (Jonathan Safran Foer)
2001 – American Gods (Nail Gainmand)
2000 – Coram Boy (Jamila Gavin)
1999
1998
1997 – Paradise (Toni Morrison)
1996
1995
1994
1993
1992
1990
1989 – The Joy luck club (Amy Tan)
1988
1987 – Norwegian Wood (Haruki Murakami)
1986
1985 – Always Coming Home (Ursula Le Guin)
1984
1983
1982
1981 – The colour purple (Alice Walker)
1980 –
1979 – Sophie’s Choice (William Styron)
1978 – Beauty: a retelling of the story of Beauty and the Beast (R McGinley
1977 – A morbid taste for Bones (Ellis Peters)
1976
1975
1974
1973
1972
1971
1970
1991- Regeneration (Pat Barker)
10 days. 10 items of clothing. (excluding underwear/pjs or coats or work out clothes).
Doable? Should be.
In my ‘urge to purge’ mode (still going strong) I toyed with the idea of ‘mary kondo’ my wardrobe but I just can’t do it to that extend. I have got rid (either charity shop or eBay) of a big bag of stuff and it felt really good, but I feel I need to be more ‘conscious’ about what I wear, what I like, what fits etc. before I can do a more severe cull. Also I’m stupidly emotionally attached to some things that I don’t wear that often and I don’t care if they should go… they stay.
My plan is to try to wear what i have in different combinations or in different ways from what I normally do and then if I still don’t like something or it doesn’t really work… out it goes. I’ll feel better if I give things a chance first. Otherwise it totally depends from the mood I’m in… and then I’ll regret the choices I might have made.
(on a different note… if I use the word ‘consciously’ one more time… shoot me… it gets on my nerves as much as ‘influencer’ and you don’t want to get me started on that!)
So, anyway, back to business. This 10×10 is nothing new, it’s new to me, but it’s been going on on instagram for ages and I’ll hope that it’ll make me appreciate that I do have plenty of clothes, that I don’t need anymore and if I do end up going shopping I’ll do so more judiciously. Oh lord I sound like my mother.
I first head of it by following Andrea. Go check her blog out, she’s got a great attitude towards clothes and fashion.
I know myself well enough to realise that I’m not capsule wardrobe material (I’d get too bored)… but a little less never hurt anybody. I’m aiming for a more ‘conscious wardrobe’ (go ahead, shoot)…
So for now let’s play with these items:
Four Tops:
A nave V-neck, a loose/boxy cardigan, a slightly cropped russet colour sweater, all three of the wool because it’s cold in January around here. And a white cotton shirt I can slot under all three if needed.
Two dresses:
The stripes one can be worn over jeans and under the cardigan. The black one I need for a dinner out next Saturday night.
Two pairs of trousers:
A pair of jeans and a pair of fine cropped cords.
Two pairs of shoes:
Given the weather forecast all these should serve me just fine.
Come back in 10 days time to see how I survived!
… and do you want to play to? Let me know if you do.
Why oh why have I never heard of The Avett Brothers? People!! you must tell me these things…
Sigh.
Just listen to this and feel better, or feel something…
… then go out into the world and be nice to everyone…
I finally made something!!
Two weeks into the new year and I finally had time to sit at my sewing machine and make something!!!
You can totally tell I’m out of practice… this baby is WONKY… but No 2 liked it and is using it and, let’s face it, there is no better compliment than that.
The pattern comes from the book ‘Weekend Sewing‘ by Heather Ross. If I have to be totally honest… I found it really tricky to put together and I’ve had to make some adjustment to the pattern pieces to make it fit. I’m sure it’s totally my fault because I’m so rusty in the sewing department…
The outside fabric is a really strong denim (another reason why it was so hard to sew accurately) recycled/upcycled from old IKEA sofa covers.
The lining fabric is re-used from an old OLD cushion cover from when the boys were little. I think it’s Japanese… but I’m not sure; always been my favourite, it looks almost screen printed.
I have an order for a pencil case from eldest child but I’m looking for an easier pattern; I might go back to the boxy pouch… problem is I always get the sizes wrong with that one!
I’m useless.
Last week I popped into IKEA with my parents; they were looking for a bookshelf and a guest bed, and I was under instructions from No 2 to purchase a new desk.
We were very successful in our endeavour although the desk wasn’t ‘like the picture’ (eye roll) and somehow that is my fault (double eye roll). When you’re 15yrs old everything is your mother’s fault. Apparently.
Moving on swiftly or I’ll start a rant I won’t be able to finish…
The store had had a revamp since my last trip and I was really impressed with the new ‘sets’. I’ve take a couple of photos for my personal inspiration… we’ll see if I can convince Mr M to change a few things around here.
Fabulous choice of wall colour, love the pop of yellow (very comfortable chair)
They seem to have gone for a much ‘darker’ theme, which is interesting because I always associate ‘Scandinavian’ living with white walls and pastel colours. That big blue chair is the perfect size for curling up with knitting and a book by the way.
Again dark walls… and that orange cupboard is perfect.
I totally fell in love with this cane (love cane!!) rocking chair… sadly there’s no room at the inn for this baby.
But what I did buy was this table for my studio. It has a removable lid/tray (it’s metal and very sturdy) and underneath/inside you can store all sort of things. Perfect for quilts or cushions. It’s supposed to have feet… but I didn’t attach them; I prefer it flush to the ground
I also splurged (not) on two of these banana leafs tables/puffs thingies. Good for spare seats and extra table space.
I was looking for curtains but drew a blank. Very disappointing choice on that front actually.
Also, no candles were purchased in this visit. I think this alone makes it a victory for the little people.
So that the next project. Any suggestions on where to buy plain NICE ready made curtains is very very welcome. Please please don’t make me sew curtains… it’s a horrible job.
while you're ahead... 