Temporary Collages

Today, when I was meant to be sorting out a whole heap of mess, instead I found myself making little temporary collages from my .... well my mess! Tomorrow is D day, I must get that mess sorted so that my table is clear enough to work at, with everything in its place. As we speak, hubby is sat at MY table with his laptop completing some work for school, so hey I can't be doing badly if it's already a functioning space huh? Somehow though, this small and just my very own little space is already being invaded. When I started clearing the table today I found a note from my eldest boy, it said 'hey mum, welcome to your new table. I really like it. Can I use it sometimes?'. The answer is: why, of course!

P.S I've always dreamed of wandering round Tokyo in pretty shoes! Well today I did so in my day dream ... sigh!

I Instagram-ed Susie Sue!

Over the last few days whilst I have been feeling unwell, I unwittingly developed a little side project. I instagram-ed the Susie Sue series that I produced last year! I CANNOT stay away from Instagram and currently show no signs of tiring!!! It was lots of fun and I love the results! I think the images would lend themselves brilliantly to kitsch coasters, mugs, pens, t-shirts, pillows, there's no limit! Admittedly, I have been spending too much time admiring Kelly Rae Roberts's home decor products and licensing deals but hey a girl can dream ...

Unwell and in charge of minors

I am endeavouring to lay low. I have succumbed to illness after many days of being on-call 24-7. I am trying to be gentle with myself. I am sipping lots of chamomile and spiced apple tea, consuming many nectarines and blueberries. I am trying to quieten my voice which is regularly climbing as I referee the chaos in my home. My convalescent has boundless energy today after a number of restricted days. The air is thick with testosterone and I want to weep a little as he explains his latest invented game 'jado': (in his own words) 'It is a made up martial art a bit like kung-fu, a bit like wrestling. I've got some really good hurting moves'.

The boys oscillate from sparring, fighting with light sabres, using new toy 'Woody' with his sharp plastic cowboy boots to inflict pain on one another to comforting one another in solidarity as I issue stern warnings of being sent to their room alone. Right now they are sat watching a film (first of the day, 'well done' me!!!!) embracing one another from time to time, holding hands ... deleriously oblivious to the grumpy woman sneezing in a chair, wiping her runny nose whilst pattering on her phone (instagram) and posting on her blog! To make up for feeling glum, I have been playing around with some images of some work from the end of 2011 and taken a few shots of things within arms reach. Loving seeing daily feeds of some photo genius's I'm following on instagram, the likes of hulaseventy, geninne d zlatkis, stuart tonge to name just a few. So much talent people, so much!

Time spent so wisely ....

Many years ago I wrote the lyrics 'Time spent so wisely, kicking dust in the air, making noise, sweet to taste'. The words at the time were describing the deep and pleasurable abandon of my childhood, those cherished and sensory memories of play. Today as I was reflecting on my week, literally out of nowhere those lyrics popped into my head once more. I've been finding myself singing them over and over and it has come as a suprise and a significant one at that. I don't normally sing when people are around, strange one might think for a part time (back in the day) singer but I don't. I do often soothe the children with their favourites but otherwise it has been a long time since I stretched my lungs and this week I have managed it and it felt good.

This week I carved some alone time with a permission slip in hand to re-discover time and lost loves. Yesterday, conscious of the fact that today is a teacher training day and therefore no school or nursery for the boys followed by the half term holidays, I allowed myself an indulgent day. From approximately 9.30am until 3.05pm I pottered, no washing, no dishes, no phone calls, no obligations. I played some music and sang, really sang and I'd forgotten how much I love to do it. Hubby has always said that I sing when I am either very happy or very unsettled, he says the same about when I write. I guess what I have come to realize is that I am a person that likes process, I learnt that about myself whilst studying on a modular degree course. When I made paper by hand on that degree course, the outcome was never the focus but the thinking time in the airy light filled studio was because I would always leave having resolved ideas and problems about other work/life. Over the years, when I have written harsh and bitter words in my diaries when I have been saddened or angered, disappointed, that there has been a place where I have been able to allow the words and feelings of the moment to spill from me freely has allowed me to take in new breath. Whether those words are ever revisited is irrelevant, that my emotions have been through a sort machine, well sometimes I picture a conveyor belt, that is for me what is key. So, to my suprise song is another process, singing to myself with no one around felt like what I used to do. Suddenly, there were flashing memories of working through this process with the end product not being a song but pure joy, feel good stuff, secret solitary behaviour.

Time and silence does that, it brings out those 'loves' that have been hidden away, not buried but unseen. The silence was truly golden. Except it wasn't silence because I heard my voice again for the first time in some time. I don't know if I liked what I heard because I'm still too giddy from the knowledge that I had enough time to make a noise and that's what this week's end product is all about.

Additionally, I found time to play around some more on Pinterest (another process!) and finally started playing with Instagram this evening too, end product featured here. Plus lots of episodes of Sex & the City without the watchful and disapproving eye of hubby and plenty of quality time with my boys. Amidst the concern of Zach's eye injury, (he gashed it at bedtime on monday night as his hand gave way getting out of the bath making him slip and bang his head against the sink) there is a wonderful memory of our return journey from the children's hospital, of me being sat between the boys in the back of the car with that chilly early days of winter feeling, rain crashing down on the windscreen with hubby leaning forward whilst driving due to low visibility, as the boys beamed with excitement at the first of the christmas lights in the city centre and at being out way beyond their bedtime, their small warm hands in mine .... a moment! Popcorn .... another moment! A really memorable week.